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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22957864">Time is Karma. And Karma is a well known bitch</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chocoflower/pseuds/Chocoflower'>Chocoflower</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Asexual Character, Dubious Consent, F/F, Gayness everywhere you look, Grief/Mourning, M/M, OC, Tobirama needs a break, i have no plan how I will get to my happy end, in chapter 14, mentioned Homophobie, not with Izuna, timetravel au</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:29:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>52,952</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22957864</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chocoflower/pseuds/Chocoflower</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tobirama looked down at his hands. Hands that had killed Izuna, his biggest achievement. And at the same time his worst and most painful expierence. If he hadn't done that, Madara would still be sane (and alive) and his brother wouldn't have a depression and a broken heart.<br/>And Izuna was one of the few people Tobirama had felt a connection with. Something like friends... Something that had linked them deeper together than anything else. And he had killed him.<br/>No. Not killed. More like slaughterd...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Senju Hashirama/Uchiha Madara, Senju Tobirama/Uchiha Izuna, Senju Touka/Uzumaki Mito</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>169</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>553</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Defeaning Silence.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tobirama looked down at his handwriting. The letters seemed to wash away, right in front of his eyes. Tumbling around and not agreeing to do their job.<br/>"Tobirama?"<br/>"Mh?" he looked up, into the face of his older and beloved brother. Hashirama looked tired and sad, like all the other days before. The only few times Hashirama now laughed, was when he was holding his granddaughter Tsunade. Every other time, the lines of grief and sadness settled on his face.<br/>"I am heading out. The team I send to the border should be back by now. And I am going to check them, just in case if something is wrong. Please take care of Tsunade this night, ok?"<br/>"Of course. Be careful, Brother."<br/>Hashirama nodded and left.<br/>As soon as the door closed behind him, Tobiramas shoulders lowered and he looked again down on his work.<br/>It was about a problem with the plumbing system. Again<br/>His brother didn't think his plan about a village very through in any direction.<br/>And the plumbing system was a chaotic problem all on it's own. Whatever solution he came up with, something wouldn't work out right. If he solved the problem with the temprature in the Nara copound, the Hyuugas wouldn't get any water at all. The whole system should be ripped apart and made new from scratch. But that wasn't possible. They couldn't just rip the whole village up in one go. Or could they? No. No, of course not.<br/>Tobirama sighed. He was so tired.<br/>So, so tired. Nothing was making sense today.<br/>He closed his eyes.<br/>Just for a second.<br/>Resting his eyelids.<br/>He would start working again in a minute...<br/>Just for a few minutes.....</p><p>With a quiet plunk Tobiramas head hit the desk.<br/>____________<br/>A groan filled the room.<br/>Tobirama blinked owlishly around. Where was he?<br/>Oh. Oh no.<br/>He fell asleep. In the Hokage Office. Again.<br/>Great.<br/>He looked outside to see how late it was and was meet with absolute darkness.<br/>A curse slipped over his lips and in the blink of an eye he was in the house of his brother. Praise God for his geniuse idea of his teleportation jutsu.<br/>He checked the complete house. Empty. Exept for a little five year old girl, his grandniece. Tsunade.<br/>He smiled down on her. What a Cute little girl she was. But the caoch wasn't a good place for her to sleep on. He was speaking from experiences in this matter.<br/>So Tobirama picked her up. She mumbled something and pressed her little face in his neck.<br/>"Shhhh. It's just me, Tsuna. Oncle Tobi. I am sorry for being this late, pumpkin. Let's go to bed, mh?" he whispered and walked into the guest bed room. There he first laid his precious cargo down, then changed quickly into a sleep yukata (he practicly lived in this room, Tobiramas own home didn't even had a real bed, just a matress on the floor) and then he cuddled up to the little girl.<br/>His hand petted her hair as she again mumbled something. It sounded like a complain.<br/>He smiled slightly. Since the birth of Tsunade he understood the dream of his brother better. To protect the children. The future of the world.<br/>It was worth everything.<br/>Tobirama had talked to Hashirama about that feeling. And his brother had smiled and said "Oh. I am so happy! You have found the will of fire in yourself, Tobi! I am so proud of you."<br/>The will of fire. The will to protect the future. To make it better than the past.<br/>That was before Madara had become mad. A better time.<br/>How was it that when he found his Will of Fire, everything went downhill?<br/>Now his brother only smiled when he was with Tsunade. He had steped back from the Hokage post and Tobirama had to take over.<br/>He didn't want to.<br/>He wanted to teach at the academy. That was Tobiramas big project. But he had to give it up to someone else. He didn't even knew the person. Of course he had the Name, he had met him. But he didn't Knew him. Not really.<br/>He hugged Tsunade closer and closed his eyes. An unsatisfied grumble was the only response he got.</p><p>Several minutes later he groaned.<br/>Sleep wouldn't come to him. Of course not.<br/>He sat up and pulled out of his nightstand a candle and some paperwork.<br/>If he couldn't sleep, he could work.<br/>And so a long night of reading about trade agreements and request of other clans to join the village began.</p><p>________________________<br/>Tobirama watched as Tsunade wolfed down the breakfest rice.<br/>"You shouldn't eat so fast. That is very unhealthy, you know?"<br/>"But the sooner I am finished, the longer I can play with you before you go to work."<br/>Tobirama blinked. "Oh."<br/>And Tsunade went down on the rice again.<br/>"Finished!" she anounced and jumped of the stool. "Let's go! Let's go! I am the princess and you my brave knight!"<br/>"And pray tell, you highness, what kind of adventure will we face this morning?" smiled Tobirama. Maybe not everything was bad.<br/>_______________________<br/>Tobirama starred a shinobi down. He had gotten quite good at it over the years. Of course he already had a good basis, with the stare he had given his brother, but now? Now his stare was famous. Noone could scowl like he did.<br/>"Please repeat what you just said, just slower this time."<br/>"I didn't thought it was that important." came the reply, defintly quiter than before. The shinobi squirmed around and tried to hide behind empty air.<br/>"Do I have to explain to you, why the report system is important? And why it is crucial that every Shinobi gives in a filled report - a correctly filled in report?"<br/>"No, Hokage-sama. I am sorry." came the guilty answer.<br/>"You should be. Because you wasted not only my time, but also the time of you comrades with your childish behaviour. Dismissed."<br/>The Man shuffled as a puddle of shame through the door and vanished.<br/>Tobirama sighed. Today was not a good day.<br/>______________________<br/>"When will Uncle Hashi come back?" Tsunade looked up at him.<br/>"I don't know, pumpkin." Tobirama petted her head and she tried to hit his hand away to protect her pigtails. "But I am sure that he will come to you immediatly when he is back."<br/>"Thank you for taking care of her the last night, Tobirama-sama." Tsunades mother picked her daughter up, who wiggled around not being very about being carried, and smiled politly at Tobirama.<br/>"Rina, we are family and I am not at work, so you don't have to adress me so formly. And it was no trouble at all. She was a little angle, like always."<br/>"Still, thank you, Tobirama-sama." Tobirama felled the formality hitting him like a brick wall on High Speed. "I know that you are very busy. We will go now. Say bye, Tsunade."<br/>"Bye, Oncle Tobes."<br/>"Bye, Tsunade" mumbled Tobirama, but the two where already gone and only some leaves were left, dancing in the air.<br/>He closed the door.<br/>Silence filled the big house. The only thing he could hear was his breathing.<br/>And it was driving him crazy!<br/>So he opened the door again, and left.</p><p>Tobirama stood in his own home. If you could even call it that. A simple apartment with three rooms: Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom. The Bedroom functioned as workroom as well.<br/>Silence was here, too. It was like he couldn't escape it. It was always there before him.<br/>What to do?<br/>Maybe dinner? He walked over into the kitchen and looked around. He should eat something. But he noticed soon that he wasn't hungry. So he left the kitchen again and went into his bedroom.<br/>A desk with a chair and simple matress greated him.<br/>He sat at the desk and looked to the window. Since it was dark outside, his own face was the only thing he saw. Resignation washed over him and he closed his eyes.<br/>Then suddenly, there was a sound. A quiet sound, but in the dead silent it rung out like an explosion.<br/>Tobirama turned around.<br/>Right in the middle of the room, kneeled a Shinobi with the mask of a bear. One of his Anbus.<br/>"What is it, Bear?"<br/>"Hokage-sama. Bad news. The former Hokage, Hashirama-sama, he fell in battle."<br/>Nothing.<br/>There was nothing.<br/>No Movement. No Light. No Sound. No Breathing.<br/>Everything stopped, turned grey and silent.<br/>So silent.<br/>The next thing Tobirama knew was, that Bear was in front of him and holding him up.<br/>"Breathe, Tobirama-san. In and out. Breathe."<br/>He gasped for air.<br/>"There we go. In and out, again."<br/>"What happened?"<br/>"You colapsed."<br/>"No. With Hashirama?"<br/>Bears head lowered. "I am sorry. We don't know. One of the returning groups found his body. That is all."<br/>Tobirama gulped.<br/>No. That couldn't be. Not his brother. Not his last brother.<br/>Bear lowered Tobirama on the chair.<br/>"Do you need something?"<br/>"Just-  stay." The request was important. Tobirama knew that as soon as he would be alone, he would do something very stupid. Something very, very stupid.<br/>"Hai." Bear stood next to him and then he didn't move.<br/>Nothing moved again.<br/>He had lost his last brother.<br/>There was nothing worse what could have happened.<br/>He burried his face in his hands. But the tears refused to come.<br/>________________<br/>Tobirama was on his knees.<br/>No.<br/>This-<br/>This couldn't be true.<br/>His hand trembled as he petted Tsunades hair.<br/>No reaction. No complaining.<br/>Tobirama scoobed her up into his arms and craddeld the little body to his chest.<br/>"Tsuna." he mumbled. "Pumpkin? Princess? Come on, girl. Open your eyes...."<br/>He hold her tight. And he felt the stillness of her body.<br/>But the worst-<br/>The worst was he felt the broken bones. The blood seeping into his jacket.<br/>Her bones. Her blood.<br/>Dead.<br/>His eyes looked around, but seeing nothing. He hugged Tsunade closer, which was hardly possible anymore.<br/>And then. Then his eyes saw. And what they saw, was that the present became his worst nightmare.<br/>Right there was the face of a jonin. Eyes open in terror, unblinking, unmoving.<br/>Dead.<br/>Tobirama turned away and saw another child in the ruins.<br/>Dead.<br/>Blood and dust sorounded him.<br/>The academy of Konohagakure. A place were children learned and were safe. A place of laughter and everlasting movement had come to be silent and motionless.<br/>Tobirama had failed. He had lost everything.<br/>______________________<br/>But if there was one trait Tobirama shared with his brother, it was stubborness.<br/>If fate would turn on him, he would fight back.<br/>And Fate should look out from now on. Tobirama Senju had just declared war on it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Think and Think. Take the jump of the Cliff?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Well, here I am with the next chapter.<br/>Tobirama going over the Theory and the Consequences of him changing things.<br/>Do tell me, if I should continue with this. :)<br/>It is fun to write, but hearing that you have fun reading it as well, that is a great help :D<br/>Thank you for the Kudos &lt;3 and that one comment (I love comments &lt;3 :D and I always answer them)<br/>Until the next chapter, People. &lt;3</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tobirama was sitting on the floor and starred at the giant paper mountain infront of him.<br/>The flying rajin overwrites time and space, but mostly space.<br/>And for what he was planning, he needed to wrap time up. That shouldn‘t be to hard, right?<br/>Now: How to turn back time...?<br/>He looked at the seals, he had made when he invented the flying rajin.<br/>Some of them hadn't work.<br/>This one had turned their house into a giant tree; Hashirama had laughed for three hours. And turning it back had been awful.<br/>The next one had let him vanish for a whole week, Hashirama had not liked that at all.<br/>Another one had just plain boringly exploded; Tobirama had pouted after that for good two hours.<br/>This one-<br/>Wait. Tobirama went back to his second try.<br/>One week. Tobirama hadn't noticed that time had passed at all, until Hashirama had cried in his arms about him vanishing without a trace and how worried he had been. One of the reasons why they made the rule, that Tobirama had to tell Hashirama, when he tried something out in his experiments. Well, before he had died, of course. Now noone who cared was left anymore.<br/>It knocked at the door.<br/>Tobirama picked the seal up. This was it. He just had to reverse it. Not going into the future, but going back into the past. Which should be easier, since the past was something that already happened. It Being in the past and all that.<br/>It knocked again.<br/>Yes. If he switched this sign with one of the later ones… and change this one by just one stroke...<br/>Someone banged on the door.<br/>It was possible. He could actually do it, going back in time. Change it, making it better. Rescuing his brother and best friend, and Tsunade.<br/>He stopped.<br/>Tsunade.<br/>If he changed the past on a critical point to soon, would she even be born?<br/>Hashirama had married Mito, only for the reason so the Uzumakis would join them. An arragened marriage. He remebered it, it had been nice. Not breathtakingly, but nice.<br/>So he couldn't change anything befor their marriage. Then Tsunade would be born. Alright.<br/>He wondered if he would change anything before that, would there even be a village?<br/>The door rattled as someone pounded against it.<br/>Tobirama looked at the seal, still completly ingoring with full purpose the person on the other side of the door.<br/>He bit on his lower lip. Now that was a thought he probably should think about before he did anything stupid; or more stupid.<br/>Why hadn't the village been found sooner? What had made it not work before?<br/>Well, Izuna had always stopped Madara on saying yes. But back then Tobirama had made the stop-his-brother-from-blindly-trusting-everyone, especially the Uchihas, his daily job.<br/>He hadn't been against the peace. But against complete trust.<br/>And that was probably also the reason Izuna had for saying no to the idea of peace. It had seemed ridicolous back then. It still seemed ridicolous. But it worked. Kinda.<br/>Even now there was distrust and anger between the two clans. One of the reasons why Tobirama had given the job of police to the Uchihas. Hoping that it would show his clansmen that the Uchihas could be trusted. To keep the inside of their village safe. But it wasn't really working out. Just like everything else he had tried, it had failed.<br/>"Hokage-sama!" yelled someone on the other side of the door.<br/>Tobirama picked up his paint brush and started to draw the new seal.<br/>"Hokage-sama! Please open the door."<br/>Tobirama watched how the ink formed the new signs and dried.<br/>He started to relax slowly. This was calming him down more than he thought it would.<br/>"Hokage-sama!"<br/>"Ugh." Tobirama looked over his shoulder to his door, some people just didn‘t get a hint "Go away! I am working!" and turned back to finish the seal.<br/>"But Hokage-sama-"<br/>"Is the world ending?" He yelled over his shoulder already knowing the answer.<br/>"No, but-"<br/>"Is the village being attacked?" Also knowing the answer to that; his ANBU were not stopped by a closed door. If the village actually would be attacked they wouldn‘t respect the closed door. Privacy was important, yes. But the safety of the village was obviously more important.<br/>"No, but-"<br/>"Then, by Kamis Name, it can wait!"<br/>He heard some shuffling outside the door.<br/>"Hokage-sama?"<br/>Tobirama closed is eyes. "what?" he hissed.<br/>Then he remebered that the person outside probably didn't heard him when he wasn‘t speaking up.<br/>"What?" he asked again, this time louder. The paintbrush gliding over the parchment. One more sign and he could try it out. A bouncing feeling started in his chest, a mixture between nervousness and happiness. It always showed up when he tried one of his inventions out.<br/>"The Elders wish to speak with you. They said that it is very important."<br/>"I am working." Tobirama called back. "They will have to wait for- Let's see... Yes. One or two Hours. Now Go!" By then he wouldn't be in the present anyway. And it probably wasn‘t even that important. Maybe something about how he failed, that he should resign, or God forbid – he shuddered – creating an heir for the Senjiu clan.<br/>He waited for a few seconds and then he heard the faint footsteps disapear.<br/>Ink dried and Tobirama waited. And started to think.<br/>If he was going to go back in time and change it, he would have to be careful not to change to much. Not to make it turn out worse than it already was.<br/>He needed a plan, a good plan. A foul proof plan! Because he would have his brother in it. Mh. Well, that was a challenge.<br/>First rule: Noone could now that he was from the future. Not even Hashirama. No. Especially not Hashirama!<br/>Second rule: He had to be careful what he said and did. The more he changed, the more the chances that it could go into complete chaos.<br/>Third rule: He couldn't kill anyone, who hadn't died before. And everyone who died had to die.<br/>Tobirama hesitated. The third rule clashed hard with his feeling about what he wanted. Damn.<br/>Alright.<br/>Second rule: Always, always remeber what your goal is. To change the present.<br/>Third ru-<br/>Wait a moment. What was his goal?!<br/>He wanted Tsunade back. And his brother.<br/>But for that he wouldn't have to go far back. He would just have to go back a month or so and stop Hashirama from leaving. And since he would know when the attack on the academy would be, he could be there on time and stop the worst from happening.<br/>That wouldn't be so hard.<br/>But was that really his goal? Of course he didn't want them to die. But there was still something. Something snipping with their fingers, trying to get his attention. Calling out, no screaming at him, to be fixed as well.<br/>Hashiramas face floated into his mind. Sad and griefing. Crying in his arms. Madaras death.<br/>Oh boy.<br/>That would be more than a month.<br/>Stoping Madara from dying, meant stoping him from attacking the village. Which meant-<br/>Not letting Madara go insane.<br/>Tobirama sighed and couldn't believe, that he actually would rescue Madara Uchiha. The Madara Uchiha. Yikes.<br/>Now: How far did he wanted to go back?<br/>No, that wasn't the right question.<br/>How far did he had to go back? When did it start to go wrong?<br/>The day they finally agreed to build the village? No. That had been a good choice. And it didn't seemed to be the reason for the madness.<br/>The paperwork of the village? Even so Tobirama sometimes was close on murdering someone, when the paperwork got too much, he doubtet it was the reason for why the Uchiha had slipped.<br/>It must have happend before...<br/>Oh.<br/>It had all started with: Him.<br/>Izuna.<br/>Tobirama looked down at his hands. Hands that had killed Izuna, his biggest achievement. And at the same time his worst and biggest failure apparently. If he hadn't done that, Madara hadn't lost his mind and his brother wouldn't have a depression and a broken heart. He wouldn't had to kill his best friend. And so he wouldn't have died.<br/>And Tobirama had killed Izuna without a second thought.<br/>No. Not killed. More like slaughtered...<br/>So he had to go back. To the day it all started. And change it.<br/>That was a lot of time, he thought.<br/>And just now I am noticing the failure? And they call me a genius. These idiots...<br/>But- Tsunade. If he went that far back. He could lose Tsunade! Panic and Fear was running through his body.<br/>He looked at the seal.<br/>Was it really worth it?<br/>The laugh of his brother seemed to resound in the absolut silent room.<br/>He had to risk it. All or nothing.<br/>Who knew that he was a gambler just like his Anjia?<br/>But He, unlike his brother, would win. After all, he was a Genius. Officially at least.</p><p>Tobirama pressed his chakra into the seal and then felt how all of it left his body rapidly. Too fast. This may have not been such a good idea.<br/>Everything faded into absoulte darkness.<br/>Welp, he was dead for sure.<br/>Possibilty smirked and rolled a six.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. He is back! But way to early... / He is aging backwards! :O</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Thank you all for the Kudso and the wonderful Comments!! &lt;3<br/>I am curious as what you think of this chapter. :D<br/>Tobirama is back in time and has to face his first important event. Which goes... let's agree on poorly.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tobirama blinked at a ceiling.<br/>Had it worked? Was he in the past? And if yes, how far did he actualy went back?<br/>He sat up and didn't recognise the bed he was in. But he was clearly not in a hospital. So where was he?<br/>As he stood up, he looked down at his body. Was this even his body? It wouldn't be good if he got stuck somehow in the wrong body. (He had a nightmare about that, a few month ago or was it now several years in the future he would have had a nightmare about that? God, that was confusing.) <br/>Mh. This was definitely his body. He was quite sure of that. Well, almost quite sure. Yes. Good. So there were no complications there. Maybe. Probably. But it was still weird, something wasn't quite right. Next to the fact that he didn't know where he was of course.<br/>What day was it? What had already happend? And what not? And- Oh my God! How old was he?!<br/>He took the room in. And there, on his right side, leaning on the wall was a mirror. Thank you, unknown Deity.<br/>Tobirama starred into the mirror. Yep, that was his face. Normal shade of paleness, red eyes, white hair, three red mar- His face was free off the three angry marks. He froze and starred at his face in utter shock and disbelief.<br/>No. That meant, he was a teenager. He had to go through puberty again?! You got to be kidding!<br/>He remembered a lot from that time, and it had been the worst time of his life. Well, ignoring that in the future he would lose everyone and everything, since it didn't happend yet, and wouldn‘t anymore. - But yes. Worst time of his life.<br/>Especially after the visit with his father by the Hyuga Clan. It had been hell after that, until his father had died. But now he knew what would happen. He could change it. But should he?<br/>Well, that was the whole question for every action he would face from now on. And he had no answer for any decision. No Pressure.<br/>Tobirama touched his cheeks. Soft skin, unmarked and normal, if you called extremly white skin normal.<br/>He already learned the lesson that had came with the three marks. So he didn't really need to go through the pain and selfhatred of it again. The scorching metal against his face, burning and marking him for the rest of his life.<br/>He blinked.<br/>He didn't know. He didn't know what to do...<br/>Now that he was back in time, he would have to face his own nightmares again and at the same time making sure that everything would turn out the way he wanted it to turn out to be. Which was totally no big deal.<br/>What had he thought?! That he could solve this mess?! That he could magicely make all the problems go away with just knowing what had happend?! He?! The one who only failed at everthing as soon as it was really important?! And he didn‘t even had a Plan for anything! He got here by sheer luck and impatience!<br/>Breathing got harder for him by every passing minute, his lungs feeling as if they were collapsing and it seemed as if a cold hand was reaching for his heart. A pounding headache came violently and without warning. He took is head into his hands, hoping to ease the pain somehow, even so he knew logicaly that it wouldn‘t do anything.<br/>There was no guarantee that anything would happen the same way anymore. He staggered back, swaying around trying to find something – anything. Safety. Control. He was lost in everyway possible.<br/>He remembered reading about something called the "Butterfly Effect". His brother had found it a ridiculous idea. But Tobirama had understood the principle, just like Mito. Change one Sign on a Seal and the whole thing can turn out to be the complete opposite.<br/>Now Tobirama had changed a Sign in the Seal of History, Himself. He knew what had happend before, that could already change things.<br/>Maybe for the better, maybe for the worst. And with his luck lately, it defintely was for the worse.<br/>And then of course he would make other decisions. And that would defintly change things.<br/>The room spun around him and everything turned black.<br/>_________<br/>"Seriously? I leave you in good health yesterday evening. And now? Now you are completely chakra depleted. What did you do? Trained the Water bomb in your sleep?! I can‘t even leave you without anything happening to you..." someone grumbled right next to Tobirama. The voice sounded familiar. But he couldn't really place it yet.<br/>He blinked and starred at the ceiling. Again.<br/>"Where am I?" he asked, hoping that the other wouldn't find it weird for Tobirama to have frogotten that fact.<br/>"In the Guest House of the Hyugas. You would think, you would remeber that, Dummy. You were here for a whole week already. Did you hit your head?"<br/>Tobirama turned his head and saw the face of the speaker, a young Hyuga male, he would never forget his name, Geljin Hyuga.<br/>All of the air that was in his lungs left at once, as if someone just threw themself on him and they had taken a long approach run apparently.<br/>So he went this far back. To the visit of his father and him by the Hyugas, an Attempt on an alliance that had failed, because of Tobir- No. Not because of him, or because of Geljin either. His father had failed. Failed to look past his own stupid believes and his stupid worldview. That was further in time than he had wanted. Dang it. He really couldn‘t do anything right.<br/>"Geljin." he whispered. Still in shock about being this far back in time and what that would mean.<br/>"Yeah. You ok? I came to look for you because you weren't coming down for breakfeast. And when I found you, you were lying on the floor. Knocked out cold. So I checked to see what was wrong with you and, boy! There was almost no Chakra left in you. What did you do?"<br/>Tobirama turned his head away "Don't wana to talk about it." he mumbled.<br/>"But-"<br/>"No."<br/>"This-"<br/>"I said, No, Geljin!" Tobirama scowled and used the voice he normaly only used when his brother had one of his naive and stubborn ideas.<br/>Geljin scowled "Fine. Keep your secrets, asshole."<br/>Tobirama lifted himself up. It seemed as if Gelkin had carried him back onto the futon.<br/>"You know, I actualy started to like you. But seems like I was wrong. Well, good for me, knowing who you really are before anything happened." Geljin stood up from his kneeling position, clearly in a bad mood, and turned to leave the room.<br/>Tobirama panicked. He didn't knew what had already happened. Maybe he already changed this? Maybe he could stop the whole tort- And on the other hand, Geljin just helped him, while he had been in one of the most vulnerable states a ninja could be in. He really was an asshole, wasn‘t he.<br/>"I am sorry, Geljin. I - I just- I don't know.“ he mumbled and went through his hair „I am very confused right now. But I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I am sorry. Thank you for helping me." looking up at his host he smiled, hoping to smooth the temper of the Hyuga.<br/>"Mhpf. Fine. But you have to do something for me." Geljin turned back around, crossing his arms.<br/>Tobirama stood up and faced Geljin. In his head several possibilities of what could be asked were running through his head, but he still said, like the idiot he was – and now is again "Of course."<br/>"Kiss me." Geljin grinned at him like a victor of the most important chase of the world.<br/>Fuck.<br/>Alright. History already was playing in a different way. This didn't happend last time. Or more like it happend differentely. Very differently.<br/>"What?" The shock and the confusion running through him clear in his voice (because it was more of a squeak than anything else – great Voice change would come again too, the most embarassing thing ever) and on his face.<br/>"Kiss me, Dummy. Now." Geljin rolled his eyes.<br/>"But-"<br/>Before Tobirama could say anything else Geljin pressed his lips against his. And Tobiramas head went blank instantly. His hands flew to the shoulders of Geljin. To push him away or to pull him closer, he wasn't sure. Just like the first time this had happened. And the decision was taken from him as the door slide open. The two boys seperated instantly, but it was already to late.<br/>Well, this was much more closer to the first time at least.<br/>Tobirama looked into the shocked face of his father, that transformed into the face of anger and, with the knowledge he know had, he could spot the disgust easily. The face was getting redder and redder by the minute.<br/>"Father I-" he started, trying desperatly to escape fate, hoping he would be successful this time around, even so he knew there was no escape.<br/>"Silence! We are leaving. The alliance is canceled. Pack your things. NOW! And you, get out." his father snapped.<br/>Geljin lowered his head and shuffeld outside, avoiding Butsuma Senjiu as much as it was possible in the small doorway.<br/>"Father let me explain, I-" maybe he could still avoid it.<br/>"I said: Pack your things! We will leave in half an hour." came the barked order and the door slamed shut.<br/>"Yes, Sir." Tobirama snapped automatically to attention and gave the false hope up, knowing now that this was something he really could not avoid anymore.<br/>Seemed like he wouldn't be able to change the first event he faced. What a way to start this rescue mission.<br/>He turned and pulled his clothes out and pushed them into his backpack. His body already doing it on pure routine.<br/>His mind on the other hand already started to picture what would happen in the next two days and preparing for it in a way that disconnected his mind from his body. Shutting off, Hashirama had called it. Tobirama could still react and perform in that state, but not as good as usual. His Uncle had teached it to him, in case he ever was captured and tortured by an enemy. The first time he hadn't seen it coming, since it had not been an enemy, but family that attacked him. So the preparation for it had been none existing.<br/>Now, he knew, when his father would chain him to the ground and burn the three marks on his face. Screaming and cursing at him that Tobirama was a shame to their whole clan, that he should have let the Uchihas kill him, that he was sick for kissing another boy. An abdomination. A sick Monster.<br/>Tobirama had believed it for a long time. But now, he knew, that there is, and was, and never would be, anything wrong with who he loved.<br/>The only person who knew, or had known, was Touka Senju. Not even Geljin Hyuga knew that Tobirama had been punished for their kiss. And as far as Tobirama was concerned it should stay that way.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Talking? Nope. Tobirama Out!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>So in this chapter we are having a little one on one chat between our brothers.<br/>I do hope I brought the emotions over as good as I wanted... I am not 100% satisfied. But I will never be, at the rate this is going. XD<br/>I want to thank you guys for all the Kudos (50! 50 People like my story. Aaaaaaaahhh!!) &lt;3<br/>And of course I want to thank all of you who left a comment for me :D &lt;3 It really makes me happy to read your thoughts and reactions to this. I always have a grin on my face when I see that someone left a comment.<br/>See you guys next chapter :D</p>
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    <p>His face hurt, burned and itched. He was tired from the whole running, he still had to do to come home. His father had left him on his own as soon as they had entered the borders of their clan. And in general Tobirama just wanted to sleep until the healing process was done and finished (he was even allowed to do that what a surprise). And so he was laying in his bed completely exhausted, emotionally and physically.<br/>The door to his room slid open and Hashirama bolted inside.<br/>The big smile on his face brought back memories of a much older Hashirama, who had lost his. Tobiramas heart clenched and apparently something was stuck in his throat, because breathing and swallowing was hard as hell.<br/>His brother was here. Alive. Smiling. Being his goofy happy weird self… until he looked at Tobirama. The smile on Hashiramas face vanished "What happened?", and his hands reached out to Tobiramas face.<br/>Normally Tobirama would have slapped the hands away and shrugged it of, lying and telling him to leave him alone. He had done it in the past, he knew. But now... He couldn't do it. And so his brother took the bandages off, that covered half of his face (It was one possible explanation why breathing was so hard at least until they were taken away and it did not get easier, it got even harder.).<br/>„Oh no. Tobi what- how- who- I- You-", gasped Hashirama and tears started to roll down his face. "What-", he sniffed and his hands touched the wounded cheeks carefully.<br/>And then it was too much. The hands of his brother so careful and lovingly on his face, where his father had just a day ago burned him for life. The hateful words still echoing in his head and heart. The stress from the future he had lived through. The grieve over his now still living brother, his not yet borned niece... it was too much.<br/>Tears fell from his eyes. First silent.<br/>Then there was one sop. Another one came. Tobirama gasped, trying to get air in his burning lungs. And so he had given the opening for a scream.<br/>Nothing was stopping his desperation, his despair, his hopelessness, his selfhatred and his absolute disdain for the unfairness of the world anymore. All of his usual control gone in a second.<br/>All of the careful locked away emotions breaking out all at once, he couldn‘t stop it or reel it in . Too much. Too fast. He was overwhelmed with the intensity of it.<br/>The Howl that broke free was unhuman and actualy only pure emotions. The vocal cords trying to get the world to finally hear the Outcry for help and outrage that had been there for years inside of him.<br/>Gripping his brother, burying his face into that stupid cotton shirt of his, that always smelled like dirt and rain, even so it hurt his face even more and probably reopened the wounds, smearing blood on the shirt.<br/>He didn't care.<br/>His brother was here. With him. Alive and healthy. Happy - well, not right now. Right now Hashirama was freaking out.<br/>But still. He was here, with his brother.<br/>Tobiramas world turned black, the lungs in desperaded need for new air, shutting the brain and soul out for phyiscal survival.<br/>But this time there was no worry or fear, only the feeling of home and safety sorrounding him. And the knowledge that Hashirama was there to catch him.</p><p>--------------------------------------------</p><p>„Alright, I got you some healing cream.", Hashirama kneeled down infront of him and opened the jar. „I spoke with father.", His hands put the cream on the three wounds while he gave that statement into the bedroom.<br/>Which would have been normal, if not for the fact that it was defintely no so.<br/>Tobirama looked at his brother. Things already had changed drastically in his eyes. The last time it had been his Aunt taking care of him, his brother not allowed to see him until his face was healed. And this conversation had not happened. He was at a lost right now on what to do or say. Still feeling raw because of the break down he had.<br/>So he waited, trying to see where this would lead him. Hoping, Praying his brother would not ask him about the break down. Because he would rather live in a trashcan, than talk about what had happened there.<br/>Hashirama sighed "I know people think of me as naive and stupid, Tobi. But I am not dumb."<br/>„I know.", Tobirama whispered, his throat still raspy from crying, and looked down on his hands, that were settled in his lap.<br/>Oh and how he knew that! His brother would become the most powerful shinobi of the world. The best healer in all of the world. You needed a lot of brain for that, not to speaking of the chakra controll.<br/>„He said that bandits got you and that he could rescue you you, before they killed you."<br/>That was weird. In his memory an unknown clan had been given the blame and covered for his fathers actions.<br/>„But these…", Hashirama put a little bit more cream on his face „these are to precise for that. And were clearly not meant as a way to kill, but to torture you. Please, Tobi. What happened? Why is father lying?"<br/>Tobirama bowed his head, avoiding eye contact. That was an information his brother didn't have the first time... But would it change anything, really? Especially in the way things already were changed?<br/>And his need for his brother to understand, to tell him what he already knew, that there was nothing wrong with him, it was so immense. The wish so big that nothing else seemed to matter anymore in this world. The old wounds in his soul, that had been closed and healed, were open again and bleeding furiosly. Hearing the insults again, the pain and the humiliation… it had been, even in his state of shutting everything out, too much. The former break down being proof enough.<br/>„No bandits.", he agreed with his brother.<br/>He needed time, Time to think about the right answer, maybe the right lie or the right way to tell the truth, he didn‘t know yet. But it didn't look like he was getting time very soon.<br/>„Then what? Was it the Hyuugas? I did hear that they have a weird way of-"<br/>„No, not the Hyuugas! Father-", the last word had not been supossed to slip out. Dang it.<br/>Hashiramas hands stilled. „Father?" he whispered and then understanding flashed in his eyes. „Father did this...?"<br/>Tobirama closed his eyes. Oh Kami. What had he done. His brother really was not stupid.<br/>„Why... why would he hurt you? You- he- I don‘t- Why?!"<br/>„I- Anjia-" he tried. But Hashirama was already set off.<br/>„You are his son! He should love you. Why…", Tears of distress rolled down Hashiramas face.<br/>„Anjia", Tobirama reached his hand out and whipped the tears away. „I am afraid that I lost the love of our father. If I ever had any to begin with."<br/>„But why? Why?! And How? How can he stop loving you? Or not love you at all?! You are... You are so wonderful! So genius! So kind! So-", hiccuped his brother. <br/>Tobirama smiled saddly. No, he wasn't wonderful and certainly not kind. And even the Genius part was not real anymore. He failed at practically everything.<br/>(The only expection was experimenting and creating new things. And even then there was a fifty-fifty chance that these topics should have remained untouched for all eternity. But nooooooo. He, Tobirama Senjiu, had no rules of ethic or moral to follow. He even didn‘t stop from dead people. He was disgusting - in a fascinating way somehow.)<br/>„I-", He gulped. Could he really tell his brother? „Me - boy – kissing -" he stuttered, hoping that it would suffice and that Hashirama wouldn‘t ask any clarifiying questions, who were obviously needed. Not one of his proudest moments...<br/>But he had said it! His heart pounded in his ears and his hands grew ice cold. Fear gripping his body, frezzing him completely, and his heart, beating at a probably very unhealthy rate.<br/>„huh?", Hashirama sniffled. „You kissed a-", of course he wasn‘t lucky. He was and never would be lucky.<br/>„He kissed me!", Tobirama scowled „I was being kissed, technically."<br/>„Oh. So you didn't wanted to be kissed?"<br/>„I didn't said that! It was.... nice. But Father was not happy... he…", Tobirama clasped his hands togethere, praying to any God that was listening to make this stop. Pretty please!<br/>„But why?", Hashirama scrunched his face up. „It doesn't make sense. Not to me. I mean you can kiss whoever you want as long as the other person is ok with being kissed. Basic Consent, you know?"<br/>Tobirama blinked at his brother. „What?", Maybe the godly intervention was not needed after all.<br/>„Gender shouldn't matter.", Hashirama shrugged. „I mean... people are beautiful. Girls, of course. But boys too. I mean have you seen Tamoe? Or Mada-", Hashirama slapped a hand over his mouth, just noticing what kind of information he almost would have given out.<br/>So his brother already had met the Uchiha... And found him, what – attractive? What...<br/>„You like boys too? You are like me?" (Tobirama would deny for eternity that he had squeaked that question) That would take some time to wrap his head around for sure. But it did explain some things, especially when it came to the obsession with Madara.<br/>„Ah yes. But girls too. So I don't know.", Hashirama shrugged. „I just think that beauty is something that everyone has."<br/>Tobirama frowned. Something was happening here, he was certain of that. But he didn‘t know what, and he did not like that at all. And it seemed like he was missing a vital information, which he also didn‘t like! Somehow this was going very weird, very fast.<br/>„I was more thinking about... well. Attraction.", He said.<br/>„Mh? Yes. Of course. Beauty is something you want around you, duh."<br/>„No. Not aesthetic attraction. I mean the other one.", Tobirama rolled his eyes. Sometimes his brother was clever, and sometimes – like now – he was in a charming way very dumb.<br/>„There is another one?" Hashirama blinked, obviously very confused by that information.<br/>„Wha- of course. The-", Tobirama stucked. "I-", He did not come back into the past to give his brother the sex-talk! No, thank you very much! Nope! Not doing that! "Nevermind." He made a tactical retreat.<br/>Hashirama pulled his eyebrow up. „You make no sense.", he stated.<br/>„I make no sense?! Me? Look who is talking.", Tobirama squoffed.<br/>Hashiramas head went down and he started to pout.<br/>„Stop that.", Tobirama growled „I am not mad. Just... I don't really want to explain to you... That.", he made a very vague gesture, hoping it would fix the whole mess.<br/>„What That?", Hashirama still pouted, but repeated the awkward gesture „Tell me. Pretty please?“<br/>„Sex…", Tobirama cringed. There. He had said it. Oh God. His eyes closed, trying to deny that this happened and still was happening!<br/>„Oh.“, Hashirama blushed, but was else very unbothered by it. „I know Sex. Aunt Melissa explained it to me. But what has that to do with anything?"<br/>Tobirama opened his eyes again, completely thrown off and very confused. What was happening here?!<br/>„Did you ever…", he looked at his brother. Hashirama was now fourteen years old. He had to... or maybe not? „I mean did you ever wanted to have... sex? With someone?"<br/>Was he really talking about this? With Hashirama?! His older brother?! Whhhhyyhhyyy?<br/>„Mh? No. Am I suppose to want that?", Hashiramas face scrunched up in confusion. „I mean it sounded.... weird. Not bad. Just... I don't know.", he whined „I mean…", Hashirama gestured a wage and general shape with his hands as if trying to say: look, noone knows what this is supposed to be. „People are pretty. But so are plants? And I just.... I mean. Just because something is pretty... that. I - well. ahm. I don't know.…", his hands fell into his lab „Is that wrong? Should I want to have Sex with someone?"<br/>Tobirama blinked „I don't think that it is wrong. Just... unusual?“ He wanted to slap himself for that stupid sentence „I- I- Why are we talking about this?!" He clapped his hands over his face and regretted it immediately. He cried out in pain. And Hashirama panicked again.<br/>Things were back to normal. Or as close as they could be, after he had The Talk with his older brother. That was something he would never, ever, forget again.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The fate of having a weird brother (aka a Maniac)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tobirama takes the job of The Slave Driver up again.<br/>And Izuna is confused about his weird, weird brother.</p>
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    <p>His brother had met Madara already, the slip up from a few weeks ago made that clear. So that hadn't changed. Good. The dream of his brother stayed the way it was. And nothing would be able to stop him from making it reality. Except Madara... and his reason had been Izunas death. And the person to do that had been Tobirama. So basically the one thing that had destroyed the village had been Tobiram- Wow. That was a Deep Deep Hole of Guilt there. Maybe he should come backt to that later. Or never. Yeah. Never sounded good.<br/>Tobirama had to think of what exactly stopped Hashirama from building the village sooner. If his father would not find out about the meeting, maybe the friendship of Madara and Hashirama would grow stronger than it already had been. That would make it easier to get the Uchihas of the future to agree to the Idea of the Village.<br/>But there was one point: The Uchihas of the Presence. Madaras father would still find out. And if they wouldn't be there to protect his stupid brother, he would die, trying to escape. And if Hashirama would die-<br/>No. He could not let that happen!<br/>So he did what he had done the first time around.<br/>Followed his brother to the stream and watched the two train and play. But this time not with utter disdain and envy, but with a little smile on his face.<br/>He would make sure his brother would be happy. And if that meant making sure Madara Uchiha would not go insane, he would do it. He would do anything for his brother.<br/>Basically with going back in time, he already had. He was going through puberty again for this stupid lovely idiot, that calls himself his brother. Hashirama owed him big time, if he would know. But he didn‘t. So there is that.<br/>He pulled out his notebook and started to take down some notes. After all, he could not go on like this forever. A plan had to be made. And right now he had time, he was safe and noone watched him. A perfect Opportunity! Now... what did he had to do?<br/>"Meeting at the river." he noted. "Madara breaking the friendship. Awakening his Sharingan."<br/>His pen hovered over the paper. Awakening his Sharingan... Right. He had figured that out how the Uchihas awakened their Sharingan with their Love.<br/>They loved fiercely. So fiercely that they decided to lock it up and transform it into the power of the Sharingan. Certainly a stuff for a horror story...<br/>He looked at Madara and Hashirama. Right now they were grabling in the dirt. It was hard to see the two older visions, the two Shinobis that could destroy the world. By Accident.<br/>Love. Madara loved Hashirama. And not just a little bit. He loved Hashirama that much, that giving him up – losing him in a way - had awakened the Sharingan. A Sharingan that would become one of the strongest ever unlocked and known to Shinobis.<br/>Tobirama wondered if the reason why Madara had not killed him and went insane right after Izunas death, was the love for Hashirama. He circled the Word "Sharingan" several times.<br/>"Love for Hashirama" he put down and pulled a line to "Sharingan".<br/>That was something they had in common then. It calmed him, knowing that there was someone who loved his brother so much, that they had fought madness as long as Madara had done it. But he would not have to do that again. At least if Tobiramas plan succeeded. Which it would.<br/>"Uzumaki" was the next item.<br/>The marriage of Hashirama and Mito had been arranged from their father. Tying the Uzumakis closer to them and so getting their help.<br/>The talk with his brother a few weeks ago came back into his mind. He wasn't attracted to people that way... Tobirama wondered if Hashirama had been happy with Mito. If he had loved her. Or if he just liked her, like a friend.<br/>They did had two children, Twins. But…<br/>The words of Hashirama echoed in his head "Is it wrong? Should I want to have Sex?"<br/>And then the face of Tsunade came into his mind.<br/>He put a big and strong question mark behind the name of the Uzumakis. He had to think about this problem. Hard and long.<br/>Then he wrote down "Izuna".<br/>That would be easy and at the same time extremely hard. He just needed to avoid killing the younger Uchiha. Not using the flying rajin on him.<br/>Or at least not right away. He did wonder what his rival would come up with as a counter move. The last time Izuna had no chance to come up with one. This time he would be able to, Tobirama grinned at his notes. Now, that was an exciting thought. Izunas mind was creative in a very mean way and because of that he had pushed Tobirama to invent more and more.<br/>But he would have to be careful. If he killed the other at any other given time everything he would have achieved until then would crumble to dust.<br/>"Village" was the next thing on his list. And then just because he could "Plumbing system". It satisfied him in a weird way to see the words written down.<br/>After all, the village had not been build yet. So he could make sure that such important things would be installed right from the begining.<br/>Several other things were put down under "Village" as well. For instance "Paperwork", "Library", "Hospital", "School" and so on and on. The last thing he wrote was "Anbu".<br/>They had not been around from the beginning. They had been an idea of his, to ensure that the Shinobi who took a mission, that would definetly have a backlash and or or needed a great amount of deadly skill, would be annomynous. Only from which village, and even that not necessarly. And with it, the deaths of revenge kills had decreased immensely. Because if you didn't know who you should take revenge on; well, Most decided then not to go against a whole village of trained shinobi, just so they may have a hit by a lucky chance at the right shinobi.<br/>And with that he closed the book again, he was sure the list would become bigger and longer with every passing day. But right now he looked at the two Children that yelled and laughed togethere, unaware that they were watched.<br/>-------------------------------------------------------------<br/>"I am sorry, Anjia.", Tobirama sat down next to Hashirama.<br/>"I know.", but the depressing figure his brother was making did not change.<br/>Tobirama rubbed his hands togethere. He knew that it had been necessary to do. But the fact that Hashirama was hurt; he had not taken into account that it had been this bad... and still was bad.<br/>"I don't blame you, you know that. Right?", Hashirama was still not looking at him, even when he said these words.<br/>Tobirama shrugged "Does it matter? I was still the one who-"<br/>"No. Do you know what he would have done to you, if you wouldn't have told him? He would have hurt you again. Don't think I am not noticing that they are sending you out on more missions. I bet they are even getting more dangerous evertime you come back."<br/>"I am sorry."<br/>"Don't apologize for something you are not responisble for!" Hashirama turned to him and hugged him "I will make sure that you will be safe. I will keep everyone safe!"<br/>"mmgfgdhhf", mumbled Tobirama into his brothers shirt.<br/>"What?"<br/>"Pha", finally he got his head out and startet to breath. "How would you do that? We are Shinobi. Being unsafe comes with the profession."<br/>"I will build a village.“, Hashirama nodded wisely, or tried it. „And then the people will be safe there. Especially the children.", Hashirama grinned and petted Tobiramas head.<br/>Tobirama smiled. "Somehow I know that you will do that. No matter what happens.", He had seen it happen after all.<br/>"Yes! And I will make peace with the Uch-mpf.", Tobirama slapped his hand over Hashiramas mouth.<br/>"Don't say that out loud! They won't like to hear that.", At least not yet, Tobirama thought. Right now, to many of their family were still on the side of Butsuma "But yes. I agree."<br/>Hashiramas smile shined like the sun itself.<br/>"But! Anjia, do you have plans?" Tobirama asked, wiping his hand absentmindedly on his pants.<br/>"Plans?" Hashirama blinked owlishly at him.<br/>"Yeah. Plans! What will be in the peace treaty? You know, like a contract. And the village? Where would you build it? Would it be only us and one other clan? Or would there be more? And have you thought about the plumbing sytstem?" He added with glaring eyes.<br/>"What?", Hashiram blinked confused. „I just want peace and a village.“<br/>Ah yes. Now he could start to make plans. Things were getting serious! Inside his head he cackled, oh how he would enjoy this!<br/>"Organizing, Anjia. That will be important.", he clasped his hands infront of him. „And all these things will be important for a Village.“<br/>"You are not against this? I thought you will try to stop me. Or at least telling me not to pick .... ahm. Them.", Hashirama gestured to the direction were the river layed.<br/>Tobirama sighed "I doubt that I could change your mind about these points. So I will at least make sure that it is properly organized and planned."<br/>"Mh. A good point. But I won't be able to do anything for it, until I am older."<br/>"When you will be Clanhead."<br/>"Yes. I will change everything!", Hashiramas arms flew up (almost smacking Tobirama in the face), seeming to hug the whole world.<br/>Hashirama had changed everything. And he would do so again.<br/>"Great. But please, Plan it. And you will start with that right Now!"<br/>"But, Tobiiiiii-" Hashirama graped him and the puppy eyes filled with fake tears of despair.<br/>"No. You need a plan."<br/>"Will you help me?" his older brother whimpered.<br/>"Ugh. Fine.", Tobirama scoffed, but soon he grinned. „What would you do with out me, mh?“<br/>„Don‘t know.“, Hashirama grinned and jumped up and down.<br/>„Exactly.“, Tobirama sighed. When it came to planning his brother was helplessly naive. „Now let‘s go have tea and plan this.“<br/>„But, Tobes, I hate Tea! And so do you!“ Hashirama jumped up in shock.<br/>„Not anymore. And you will like it!“ and with these words Tobirama dragged Hashirama inside. And it felt so familiar to the time were he had pulled a much older Hashirama into the Hokage Office. Seemed like he would become “The Slave Driver of Paperwork and Doom“ sooner rather than later.<br/>---<br/>„Aniki!“ Izuna couldn‘t believe it. His brother had awakened the Sharigan. And that at such a young age. On one hand he was proud of his brother, because – well, it was the fucking Sharingan! But on the other hand, he was afraid. Because it was the fucking Sharingan!<br/>Their clan was not stupid or ignorant, not about their own Kekei-Genkai.<br/>Awakening the Sharingan was a big step forward to becoming a better warrior, but it showed that his brother was hurting deeply.<br/>Madara looked up at him, his eyes black to the gentle black colour they normally hold.<br/>„Are you… are you ok?“ not sure how to handle the situation, Izuna sat down next to Madara, trying to overplay how unsecure he felt.<br/>Madara turned his head forward again, looking at their Koi Pond and at two of the Kois, one white and one black, swimming in a circle (such a cliche really). No answer came for a long time.<br/>The Silence stretching out and building a bubble that seemed to be unbreakable.<br/>And that told Izuna a lot. Madara was not ok or fine or anything close to these things.<br/>Their father had warned them several times about the Senjius. The storys of the past and from almost every member of their family were so deeply engraved in Izunas Mind and Heart, he couldn‘t understand how Madara could trust one of them. Let alone love one.<br/>„Did you know?“ he asked carefully.<br/>His brothers eyes followed the black Koi, Izuna had named him Li (Meaning Strength), in the Pond until it swam deeper and far away from sight.<br/>Then Madara nodded, and his eyes fixated on their white Koi, who had gotten the name Yasu (Meaning Peaceful), who started to swim in a circle, clearly lost without his usual circle partner.<br/>„But they are-“<br/>„I knew. I didn‘t care.“<br/>„But Aniki-“<br/>„He is nothing like the storys father told us!“<br/>„He could have acted. Trying to lure you into that trap!“<br/>Madara opened his hand, showing a flat riverstone, where someone had scratched in the messege „Trap. Flee“<br/>Izuna starred and didn‘t understand. Why would the Senjiu give Madara such a warning? They were enemys and the goal had obviously been to kill Madara. So why-<br/>„He was my friend.“, Madara whispered, clutching the stone in his hands. „But I will face him on the battlefield. As the enemy. I know my duty to our clan.“, and his eyes went back to the pond, a deteremined frown on his face.<br/>In the Pond Yasu was still lost. But then the blue Koi, who rarely came out to be seen by the Uchihas, so rarely that noone was sure if he even existed (and with that the rumor started that when you saw him, that you would be lucky for a long time to come), swam up into sight and next to the confused Yasu, stearing him further into the middle of the Pond and into the direction Li had taken. Izuna had never seen the Blue Koi before, and so he had remained nameless, since Izuna had claimed the Privilige to name the Koi‘s.<br/>He frowned. The sentence of his brother stirred something wrong in him. His mind and heart distrusted the Senjus, no matter how nice Madara thought that one was. It told you nothing of the others, and the one could (and would) change.<br/>But his Gut told him that something had happened, even before this morning at the river. Something important. Something that he wasn‘t aware off. And that something felt … wonderful.<br/>„Fushigi“, he blurted out. (Meaning Dream or Wonder)<br/>„What?“<br/>„The blue Koi. That is his name. Fushigi!“<br/>„Why?“ Madare looked puzzled and baffled at his younger brother.<br/>„Don‘t you agree that there is something unreal about him?“ Izuna smiled at leaned back to relax.<br/>„Well, he is blue.“ Madara shrugged.<br/>„I mean-“, Izuna huffed, crossed his arms and started to mope „Oh forget it.“<br/>Madara laughed a little bit and layed his arm around Izuna „I love you, Zuzu. But you can be so weird sometimes.“<br/>„As if you are better!“</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello!<br/>So... 75 Kudos O.O Wow. That is a lot... :D<br/>Thank you so much for every little heart that a wonderful reader left. &lt;3<br/>And just so you know: I wrote the scene with Izuna only because one Comment reminded me that some of you are looking forward on meeting him. I procrastinated the scene a lot... And I figured that wasn't fair.<br/>I do hope I got him right. He is right now a Child and given from the Anime (as far as I watched), I had not many things to work with on Who Izuna is as a Person. Especially as a Kid.<br/>So yeah. I hope I did good. Or ok.... :D<br/>Until next chapter. Or a Comment (looking forward to them)</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Problems are Herd animals. There is never ever just one.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sooooo. Mito is here! And she is here to stay.<br/>And Tobirama is keeping Izuna on "surveilance". Because something isn't right with him... Or at least Tobirama thinks so. :D</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wow!!<br/>So many people like my Fic. Over 90.... :O &lt;3 That is amazing.<br/>I do hope that I won't let you down. :)<br/>Thank you so much for the comments, I love reading your opinions and theories.<br/>Especially since some remind me of some characters I had forgotten.... Hupsi. hehe.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Several years passed and nothing really important happened.<br/>Or at least Tobirama thought it was nothing important. (His aunt would disagree with him, given that she had birthed a son.)<br/>Of course his brother now knew of his different affinity when it came to his lovers and what their father thought of it. So Hashirama was constantly glaring at Butsuma and all of the Elders.<br/>Tobirama still went on all of the missions he went on before, they got harder everytime he came backjust like before, but the knowledge of what happened made it easier to come back alive. Of course he made sure to get injuries occasionally, especially on the harder ones, so they wouldn‘t send him on an unknown suicide-mission. With this plan he would be able to stay alive.<br/>Tobirama had also talked with Touka, something he had done the first time around way later in his life (like when the village had been build). They had bonded over the fact that they had no interest in the opposite gender and a friendship had transformed out of it, almost as deep like the one he had with Hashirama, minus that he had to remind her of her duties and plus the factor that they had a similar weird humor.<br/>Of course he didn‘t have to talk to her – now that he had Hashirama to talk to-, but his Cousine was a very special person. And he had missed her for a very long time (her comments, the training with her, her comments, her punches, oh and her comments), since she had died in an ANBU-Mission that had went south a few years before his timetraveling. He had been able to grief her, but seeing her alive and rowdy like before, had been a big punch into his gut.<br/>And a part of him wondered if he was a coldhearted person not to have thought of all the other family members he had lost. His other brothers that had already died and been buried in the earth. He had not even given them one spare thought. What did that say about him?<br/>„I have an annoucment!“ Butsuma starred at the two brothers.<br/>Right, they had a Council-meeting right now. And the last time, he had not been part of any of them, but Hashirama had made sure that everyone knew that if they wanted him, the Heir, in the Meeting, Tobirama had to be there too. He had to sit now in so many Meetings, he was not sure if his brother was just punishing him for insisting on making a plan in a cruel round about way.<br/>„We are thinking for several years now about an alliance with the Uzumakis. And the best way to ensure that it will be stable, and will remain stable, is through a marriage bond.“<br/>Oh, so this was this meeting. The arranged marriage was being presented. And that means, that the-<br/>„And so I arranged that a deligation of the Uzumakis, with the daugther of the Clanhead, Mito Uzumaki, will be staying with us. I want you, Hashirama, to be on your best behaviour.“<br/>„Why? I mean, of course. But why is it this time so important?“ Hashirama scratched confused at his cheek.<br/>His brother was sometimes such a dounce.<br/>„Because, the Marriage for the Alliance will be between Mito and You.“<br/>„Wh-“<br/>Tobirama rammed his elbow into Hashiramas side, hoping that he would get the hint not to go against it. Not before they talked about what to do. And a part of him did want the marriage to happen. If he wanted Tsunade, he needed the children from this marriage. And that thought didn‘t sit very well with him. It felt wrong. It felt like he was betraying his brothers trust.<br/>Hashirama nodded and didn‘t speak up again.<br/>For the rest of the meeting the visit was talked over and planned. Mito would spent a lot of time with Hashirama and the delegation would try to agree on a contract that would fit both clans.<br/>„I have one request.“, Hashirama had lifted his hand and spoke, Tobirama groaned inside his head. What ever he wanted to say, it probably wouldn‘t be good.<br/>„Yes?“ Butsuma asked through bitten teeth. Apparently they were on the same side on this. And that was a scary thought.<br/>„I want Tobirama to be with me at all times. I am quite aware that he is one of our strongest. But I will need him with me, to be calm enough.“<br/>Tobirama blinked surprised. He had been sent on an assassination mission in the past, so he was out of the way.<br/>„Hashirama-“ one of the Elder started. Already in a condescending tone.<br/>„Please. If you send him away, most of my thoughts will be if he is safe, unhurt and when he will be back. Or if he will return like he did in October.“, Hashirama glared at every Elder in the Room, and all of them had at least the decency to avoid the eye contact.<br/>And so Hashirama got the allowance to have Tobirama with him, when the Delegation arrived.<br/>Which meant, they would sent him right now on the assassination mission, hoping he would not return on time or at all. Of course wishing for the last option.<br/>October had been a bad month for Tobirama. He had gotten a bad cold, and was supposed to steal a scroll from another clan. And of course he sneezed when it had been the worst possible time to do so. It had ended with him covered in blood, a broken arm and a flu that had not allowed him to be upright for around three weeks. A very bad comby, one he never wanted to have again. At least he had gotten the scroll. But Hashirama had been so unhappy with the whole event, that he build a complete new building, that he had declared to be a Hospital, were only medics and hurt and sick people were allowed inside. Or if you were visiting. But practically noone got in unknown and Hashirama had given everyone, except for Touka, the silent treatment for about two weeks. Moping. Yes, even Tobirama had not been an excpetion.<br/>----<br/>Tobirama had his arms crossed and starred blankly at the trees, while the others where greeting their guests, the Uzumakis.<br/>He had not gotten any real sleep in the last 28 hours and so his mood was even more down than it already was in general and he was very droopy. The Mission had been surprisingly easy, but on the way home he had to take a detour so he wouldn‘t run into Izuna Uchiha. Why the other one had been in that specific Area was unclear, but Tobirama didn‘t mention it to anyone. He only put it in his notebook of Secrets.<br/>Izuna was acting strange- stranger than usual. In the last few months he had not given Tobirama his all out like usual, it felt more like prodding and poking. As if Izuna was not sure about what to do. And that could be deadly on a Battlefield.<br/>Just to make sure, Tobirama had started a List in his notebook about Izuna and his … habits. And yes, it sounded bad. He knew it did. But what was he meant to do? Izuna was the biggest weakness in his enormous plan of fixing everything. And so he clearly had to keep an eye on him.<br/>„Tobirama, come and meet Mito-chan.“, Hashirama waved him over.<br/>Mito looked exactly like the first time around when he had met her. Just that at that point she had already been engaged to Hashirama.<br/>„Hello, Tobirama-san.“, the bow was performed with a perfect form.<br/>„It is an honour to meet you, Mito-san.“, he bowed as well.<br/>„Really?“ Mito looked at him surprised.<br/>„Well, yes.“, he looked to his brother, who was just as surprised as Mito. „I heard a lot about your talents with seals. Something I am trying to learn in the last few years.“<br/>Mito smiles at him, in that way she always did when she started to overthink something important. Like the Treaty to let the Naras join the village. That had been a whole mess, he wouldn‘t had been able to solve on his own.<br/>„Maybe I can teach you a few things, if you wish.“, she still smiled and layed her head to the right side, making her hair jewellry jingle. Which pulled Tobiramas attention to the swinging Jade drops. His eyes followed them for a few seconds.<br/>„It would be my greatest honour and very appreciated, Mito-san.“, he pulled himself from his trance of looking at the swinging drops (hadn‘t been easy and his eyes still wandered there).<br/>„Tobirama is one of the most genius people I‘ve ever met. So he will be your best student for ever.“, Hashirama gloated and Tobirama felt blood rushing into his face.<br/>Unluckily Hashirama had gotten the tendency to give him compliments and tell others how great his little brother is.<br/>Tobirama was first of all not that great as Hashirama made him out to be and second of all not used to hear these things about him. It made him feel very uncomfortable and at the same time like he accomplished something big, even so he didn‘t do shit.<br/>------------------<br/>Turned out that Tobirama would never understand how Hashirama and Mito had managed to do anything without him the first time around. Let alone get engaged. Of course Tobirama tried to stay out of their way as much as possible, which meant he spent every minute with the two, since Hashirama refused to let him do anything else. So if one of them was around you could be certain that the other two of their weird trio was close by.<br/>Mito and Hashirama got along quite well, but it was obvious that nothing more than platonic feelings would ever bloom between these two.<br/>And now with this perspective of this pair in several moments and scenes, they shined in a complete different light than they had before for Tobirama. It was obvious for him that Hashirama and Mito had never been more than close friends, who just happened to get children.<br/>Was that what they wanted? Was that something he wanted them to have? Was this right? Was this good? Or was he doing the worst thing ever? Pushing two people into something they would never do alone on their own?<br/>He sighed and rubbed his face, trying to make his brain come up with a solution.<br/>Fuck, he never thought knowing the future would make things so complicated and frustrating. But he should have seen it coming. (ha! Good one, Tobirama.)<br/>„What troubles you, Tobirama-kun?“<br/>He sprung up and starred at Mito. How did she- Right. She had that abnormal tendency to sneak up on people.<br/>„Nothing.“, he tried to block her. This wasn‘t information anyone should ever know.<br/>She hummed thoughtful and stepped closer „Could I speak with you in private? Seal work is something very sacred and I would hate if the knowledge would get into the wrong hands.“<br/>„Of course.“, Tobirama knew she didn‘t drop her question. Only giving the oppurtunity for some privacy. They already had discussed the Seal Work and the Theory of it on last Thursday.<br/>When Tobirama wanted to go into the Living Room, Mito just shook her head and walked upstairs and right into his own room.<br/>Huh. That was… unusually bold? And a very weird thing to do. Especially for Mito.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next chapter:<br/>Mito is done playing dumb dumb pretty doll and wants answers from Tobirama.<br/>And of course someone will barge in on these two being alone in Tobiramas room. What a scandal! :O</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Tobi-chan! How could you?!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ok. So I had a writing boost for this chapter.<br/>Mito and Tobirama are talking! Wohoo!<br/>And I really hope that I got this right. Especially with the emotions... :)<br/>And at the end a little bit of Izuna, in a midlife crisis. :D</p>
<p>Already over 110 Kudos?? Wow! You guys are awesome! &lt;3<br/>And I am always looking forward to your comments :D<br/>Until next chapter!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tobirama looked suspiciously at Mito, who now sat on his bed like she owned the whole room.<br/>„Sit. This will take some time to explain.“, Mito gestured for him to sit on the opposite side of the bed.<br/>Tobirama followed it, of course he did, it was the polite thing to do. Even so this arrangement could turn very fast, very bad.<br/>„First I want to tell you, that I am quite aware of what the three scars on your face mean. And I am sorry to see that the Senjus are also still stuck on that.“<br/>She knew? How did she knew? Why? And what would she do know with this knowledge? Would she make it official for everyone? Would she hurt him as well for this? Would she kill him? Would she-<br/>„Tobirama-kun! Breathe!“ Mitos hands were suddenly on his face.<br/>Her hands were cold and gave an opening for Tobirama to return to the here and now. Focusing on the cooling part of her hands. He breathed in and out again. Deep and Slowly, trying to force himself to calm down.<br/>„I am sorry, I shouldn‘t have barged in with that information like that.“, she scrunched up her nose. „I forgot what kind of effect this still has on someone who expierenced this. Even years later.“<br/>Tobirama breathed in again slowly and then slowly out.<br/>He closed his eyes and opened them again, preparing himself for what he would have to face now. What ever that would turn out to be.<br/>„And what now?“ he asked and knew at how Mito pulled back a little bit that his voice was as cold as her hands had been on his face.<br/>„It might help you to see that we have something in common, next to the interest in Seals. I have“, she hummed thougthful „the same inclination as you.“<br/>„You-“ Tobirama coughed, he had swallowed and breathed in the same time. The burn of the coughing hurt and he couldn‘t calm down for several seconds, which felt like an eternity.<br/>„Yes. I have no interest in men what so ever.“<br/>Yes! No!<br/>Fuck!<br/>„And the three scars on your face tell me, that you had the Misfortune of someone finding out, that wasn‘t trustworthy. And I am so sorry that this happened to you.“, her hands reached out to him with her open palms.<br/>Tobirama furrowed his brows „How do you know?“ not reaching for her hands.<br/>„It is a barbaric practise my family has done for generations. It is mostly not done anymore. But there are still some who do it.“<br/>His head snapped up, looking right at her face, which was controlled like his own, into a mask of cold calculation.<br/>„I have not been scarred. But only by pure chance and luck. I am not-“<br/>„It is not your fault that you didn‘t get hurt. Noone should ever appologize for not being hurt. With-“, he cringed at his next words, knowing he could and should have formulate them better. „For getting away with this. Or more like with being undiscovered.“, he sighed deeply.<br/>Reaching for her hands, laying his hands into hers and carefully holding them, he continued. „Oppression is not a race or a competion, Mito. Neither is it a requirement for being valid. I am happy that this didn‘t happen to you. Of course noone should have the experience of being oppressed, just because who they love. But saddly reality is not like that. Maybe it will be one day. Just like there will be peace in the world.“<br/>When Tobirama looked up from their hands, he saw the tears that were falling slowly down on Mitos face. Already dropping down her chin on her beautiful Kimono.<br/>„Ah! I mean. I didn‘t.“, he quickly let go of her hands and started to search for a Hankerchief.<br/>Mito sniffed soundly and laughed wet (like you do when you are overwhelmed) „Sorry. It is just…“<br/>He finally found the Hankerchief in one of the deepest part of his pants and showed it to her. Smiling she reached for it and dried her cheeks.<br/>„Kami, I am normally not like this.“, she puffed her cheeks a little bit up, trying to relax her face again.<br/>„It is alright. Sometimes emotions just run high. Especially about something like this.“, he folded his hands in his lab, overplaying the fact that he had no idea what to do know.<br/>This was never a situation he had to face. And therefor he had no preparations or ideas on how to go on or how to react right.<br/>„You are a very kind man, Tobirama-kun. And surprisingly wise for your age.“, Mito folded the hankerchief togethere, but clenched it in her hands into a ball, completely ruining the perfect folds she had just made.<br/>„I am?“ surprise washed through him and his face showed it clearly, without any veil trying to cover it.<br/>„Yes. This is why I wanted to talk with you. I knew that you would understand me, or better, you are closer to my situation than anyone I have ever met.“, her hands picked at the Hankerchief again.<br/>„I do.“, how he whished he didn‘t. Or that at least not Tsunades existince was relying on it.<br/>„Hashirama is a kind man. And very forthcoming in almost all aspects. But he is still a – well a“<br/>„A man.“<br/>„Yes.“, Mito pulled a grimace.<br/>Tobirama sighed. This changed a lot. Knowing that the marriage of them was only build on an acceptance that it had to happen, because their family forced them to this… He couldn‘t ask that of them.<br/>Tsunades little face, with her big smile, showing him proudly the little picture she had drawn with her crayons, seemed to fade.<br/>Then something came into his mind.<br/>„You said your family practises this punishment?“ he gestured to his face.<br/>„Yes.“, her face transformed into pure disgust and hoplesness. „You could say it is part of our culture and tradition.“<br/>Tobirama took a deep breath.<br/>„I think I know how we can stop the arranged marriage.“<br/>„You do? How?“<br/>„Butsuma-san made very clear to me that … that the scars are an old way of our clan to show … my shameful and disgraceful being.“<br/>„Bullshit.“<br/>„I agree. But I know of no other clan that has this way. Until today. Seems like our clans are already related. Even if it goes back several generations. We only have to look into the family trees closer.“<br/>Mito sniffed again.<br/>„Do the Senju have such a detailed chronologie?“<br/>„Yes. They do. I had to look into it once, when Ts-“ Tobirama broke up.<br/>„When?“ Mito asked and a small and devious smile showed up on her face. „It always surprises me on what you know. Especially considering your age.“<br/>Shitshitshitshit.<br/>„Your brother told me a lot about the things you seem to investigate in. Plumbing system?“<br/>„It is necessary part of everday life.“, he grumbled.<br/>„Well, even if you would have started to learn all these things when you could read, which was at the age of four. Correct me if I am wrong.“<br/>Curses on his brother and his habit to brag about him!<br/>„There is no way you could know the amount that you do. Who are you, Tobirama-kun?“ Mito leaned closer to him and he instantly leaned back.<br/>He should have known that Mito was to clever, to observant about such things like continuity.<br/>With a bang the door to his room was forcefully opend. And since he already had an instable postion, Tobirama fell on his back very ungracefully and unelegant.<br/>„Tobira-! Woah!“<br/>He groaned. Touka really did had the worst timing in the whole universe.<br/>„What the fuck?! Tobi-chan, what is this?“ bubbled it out between Toukas laughs.<br/>When Tobirama finally managed to get his body upright again, he glared at her. She remained completely unaffected and only gestured wildly between Mito and him. „I repeat. What the fuck?“<br/>„Touka“, he groaned „Do you have to be like this?“<br/>„Yes! So how come that there is this gorgeous woman in your room and you didn‘t tell me? I am hurt. Hurt, I say!“ she theatrically threw herself on the bed, right between Mito and Tobirama. Which is why Tobirama almost fell off again.<br/>When Tobirama felt safe enough again about his sitting arrangement he looked at Mito, trying to see what she thought about this vile interruption of his cousin.<br/>He did not expect her face to be as red as her hair, including her neck and ears.<br/>„Oh. That blush is really pretty. Tell me your name, oh you red godess!“ Touka had turned around and was now laying on her back, looking up to Mito with an adoring smile on her face.<br/>Mito, clearly overwhelmed with Toukas horrible behaviour, only hid her face behind her sleeves.<br/>„Touka.“, he intervened.<br/>„Yes?“<br/>„Please try to function and act a little less intense around her. She grew up around people like Butsuma.“<br/>Touka instantly shot up, her voice also changed into a tone much softer and careful „Oh my- I am sorry. Did I make you uncomftortable? I tend to overlook these things… My family are the black sheep in our Clan, at least when it comes to this. So I forget that others are not as open and comftorbale with-“<br/>„I am fine.“ Mitos voice came behind her sleeves. „It is just…“<br/>„A lot at once. We already talked about some heavy things.“, Tobirama came to her help.<br/>Mito let her arms slowly fall down again. She wasn‘t completely red anymore, only a powerful flushed on her cheeks.<br/>Touka smiled „Alright. I will real myself back.“<br/>„Please don‘t. You should feel comftorbale with being yourself.“<br/>„Tobi-chan?“ Touka whispered.<br/>He sighed „Yes?“<br/>„I think I am in looooove.“<br/>Tobirama sniggered and pushed her. She let herself fall back without a fight and looked at the ceiling.<br/>„Not only beatiful. But also so kind! Even on her own expense!“ Touka smiled, then sat up half way, leaning heavily on her arms. „So how come she is in your room?“<br/>„What is that supposed to mean?“ He laughed and poked her on her arm, making her fall back again.<br/>„Puuuhlease. We both know that you are the devils son.“, Touka blinked at him „Just like I am his wife.“ Her eyes wandered over to Mito „Not that I wouldn‘t be open to leaving him for someone better.“<br/>Ah. Their weird humor. Tobirama grinned down at Touka.<br/>An open and clear laugh filled the room, making both of them look up, it was Mitos.<br/>„Oh Kami“ she sniggered. „I am so sorry. I just- there was this picture. Of you“ she pointed at Tobirama „with“ she had to stop since another laugh went through her „with these ears of the – of the Cat Demon.“ And with that Mito completly lost to the Laughing.<br/>„That is actually quite fitting.“<br/>„Excuse me?“ Tobirama looked down at Touka.<br/>„No, can‘t you see? You behave like a cat more often than not.“<br/>„I do no such thing!“<br/>„You even make this wiggle before jumping somewhere.“<br/>„That is calculating my weight!“<br/>„You hate being petted.“<br/>„I am not an Animal!“<br/>„But you do want attention, but only when you want it. You are a cat.“, ended Touka.<br/>„Who is a cat?“ Hashirama stood in the middle of the room.<br/>Did noone knock in this goddamn household?!<br/>„Tobirama-kun“, wheezed Mito.<br/>„I am not!“<br/>„Yes, you are, Tobi-chan.“, Hashirama jumped on Tobirama cuddling him hard to his chest.<br/>„No! Get off me! Anjia!!“<br/>„With that screech? Defintly a Cat.“<br/>Tobirama resigned himself to his fate of being cuddled to death by his brother, while Touka and Mito laughed.<br/>He would get his revenge on them. One day.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Izuna looked at the Koi Pond.<br/>Several things were bothering him in the last few months. And they somehow all came down to that blasted Senju!<br/>With his stupid water jutsus and stupid fluffy jacket and his stupid pretty face- ah.<br/>Izuna hugged his knees and layed his head on them.<br/>Why was this so hard?<br/>He should hate that guy. But noooooo, he had to suddenly find him stupidly cute and pretty.<br/>It had all started with seeing him standing next to his older brother, stupidface Hashirama. Standing guard, while his brother healed a younger child of their clan. And then, when it was clear that Hashirama couldn‘t do more, due to getting close to Chakra Exhaustion, Tobirama had kneeled down to the crying boy. Smiling softly at him.<br/>And then he had the audacity to give the boy a Piggyback Ride! Which was even more cute!<br/>Ugh!<br/>And now he couldn‘t unsee it. That soft and kind smile.<br/>The Senjus weren‘t suposed to be like that.<br/>Soft and Kind.<br/>Especially that Senju wasn‘t supposed to be – to be – to be like That!<br/>But he did. And he was.<br/>And Izuna hated and loved it at the same time.<br/>No. No, he didn‘t.<br/>He hated the Senjus. He was supposed to hate the Senjus.<br/>His father had told him to. His whole family told him to.<br/>Noone could know this. Noone would understand this.<br/>Maybe one would understand, Izuna thought. But could he really ask his brother about the Senjus?<br/>It had been a tabu topic (touchy subject) for the last years.<br/>Well. Only one way to find out.<br/>Izuna stood up. Time to take the jump into cold waters. Hopefully his brother wouldn‘t kill him for asking about the Senjus, the reason for his sharingan.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Secrets, secrets are so fun - stress level rising</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A talk between ... Adults.<br/>And Izuna has a lot of restructering in his worldview to do.<br/>Thank you so much for your Kudos and Comments :D I loved each one of them &lt;3<br/>Looking forward on what you think about this one</p>
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    <p>Tobirama smiled at one of the scrolls right in front of him.<br/>It was exactly what he had been looking for in the last few days. The proof that the Uzumakis and Senjus were already related to each other. Of course not closely enough for the elders to let the marriage part drop, but close enough to get the argument across that it wouldn‘t have to be Hashirama and Mito.<br/>When he stepped outside of the Records Room, he almost scrambled back again. Mito stood right in front of him, her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.<br/>That couldn‘t be a good sign, that was for sure.<br/>"Ahm… can I help you, Mito-san?“ he looked around, trying to spot anyone else that wasn‘t him that had gained her wrath.<br/>"Yes. I want to finish our talk.“<br/>"Talk?“<br/>"Yes. I want the answer to my question: who are you?“<br/>Ohoh.<br/>Tobirama breathed deeply in, "I am afraid that is a long story“ like two lives long "And I don‘t think that you have any right to know it."<br/>His own scowl was met by an unmoving Mito.<br/>"How nice.“, she spat. "You really think that I will let this go? No way. You will tell me.“<br/>"Or what?“ he scoffed.<br/>"How about I get my old friend Lila Yamanaka to examine your brain.“<br/>He stopped in his tracks "You have a Yamanaka friend? That is so unfair!“<br/>People turned their heads to them, but when they saw that it was Tobirama, they just went about their day again. It was not unusual of him or his brother to complain about things.<br/>"Yes.“, a smirk was sent his way "Do I have to write to her?“<br/>"No.“, he sighed, feeling like a five year old being chastised for not having asked before taking a cookie, just that the cookie was the Time and Space Continuum.</p><p>----------------------------------------</p><p>They were in his room again. And already had around half a minute of uncomfortable silence, that felt like eternity, behind them. Because how do you explain to someone what he had done? And where do you start?<br/>"I don‘t know how to explain this to you.“, he started.<br/>"Alright. Just throw it at me and I will see when I don‘t understand something.“, Mito sat in front of him again, giving him all of her attention.<br/>'I am over twenty years old.“, that could be a good start, right?<br/>"What?“<br/>Alright. Not one of his better starts.<br/>"Ok. Ahm. You see, everyone around me had died and I went back in time to change it and … yeah.“, he bit his lips.<br/>Mito blinks several times and then shakes her head.<br/>"Ok. A little bit slower for me. You are from the future?“ her hands waved confused around the air.<br/>"Yes and No.“<br/>"How can it possibly be both?“<br/>"Oh well, because I changed things?“ he himself had wondered about the same thing. With the things he changed was the future he had lived in even still a possibility to achieve?<br/>"You did what?!“ she screamed.<br/>"Changed some things. Several, actually. Which was kind of the whole point. But I also changed some things, I did not think I had to change. And now everything is weird and not how I thought it would be and I've just been going with everything? Which may not be so good.“, he just blurted it all out.<br/>"Yeah. Maybe not.“, Mito nodded and looked at him as if she could not believe how idiotic he was. He could only agree.<br/>"I admit, not my smartest move to change something before thinking about it. If it makes you feel better, the thing I changed is the marriage between you and Hashirama.“<br/>There was a thoughtful silence for a minute.<br/>"We were married?“ she then asked, clearly still trying to process the fact.<br/>"Yes. And you had twins.“<br/>"I had kids?“ Mito looked as if he just had told her that she had eaten a bunny raw, disgusted. "That … doesn‘t sound like me, to be honest.“<br/>"And you had a granddaughter, you named her Tsunade.“, just thinking about the little princess made him smile, even so at the same time sadness filled him.<br/>"Alright. That sounds like me.“, Mito nodded slightly "Tsunade was my weird aunt. She was the crazy cat lady, you know?“<br/>"You named your Granddaughter after a crazy cat lady?“ Tobirama laid his head on the side. What the- that was new information.<br/>"No? I haven‘t done that, obviously. Because I am not marrying Hashirama, right?“ a smug grin was showing proudly on her face.<br/>"Not the way this is going, no.“, he admitted defeat.<br/>"See. I haven‘t done anything wrong.“ she grinned brightly at him.<br/>Tobirama sighs "But that is exactly my problem.“<br/>"Why?“ Mito's smile vanished, and her usual serious character came visible again.<br/>"Tsunade was the reason why I came up with this whole idea, in the first place.“<br/>"Oh.“<br/>"Yeah. Oh. This is very complicated and conflicting for me.“, he rubbed his temple. Not knowing what to expect or to do or anything, really.<br/>"Ok. Listen up. What is your goal? Really, when you think about it, what is it that you want to accomplish by being here again?“ Mito crossed her arms and stared intensely at him.<br/>"Making it better.“, the answer came as easy as breathing out of him.<br/>"Good. That is your goal. And your plan to accomplish this is?“<br/>"Don‘t kill someone specific and still get the village built.“<br/>"The village Hashirama is always talking about?“<br/>"Yes.“<br/>"Doesn't sound like a very constructed plan. Not thought through properly. But at least very simple.“<br/>"I know. I know, ok? But this is something I decided on the spot! I didn‘t really think before activating the seal. And then I was here. And now I have to make everything up on the spot. And then I find out-“<br/>'Seal? You made a seal where you can go back in time?“ Mito almost jumped him with her excitement.<br/>"Yes. How do you think I managed this?“ he asked her annoyed. Seriously. What had her idea been how he did the time travel?<br/>"I don‘t know. Maybe a hidden Kekei Genkai of the Senjus. What do I know? But what is the seal like? Can you show me?“ her whole body seemed to vibrate with pure excitement.<br/>"I … I can give you a sketch of it? But don‘t use it! That thing is dangerous and almost killed me.“ he quickly added the last part. Remembering the drain it had put on his chakra.<br/>"Pff. Of course I am not going to use it. I am not stupid.“ she rolled her eyes.<br/>Wow. Ok. That had not been necessary.<br/>"But back to the problem at hand.“ she sat a little bit back again "As we both know, I won't marry Hashirama. Therefore I won't have a granddaughter, who I would then name Tsunade. Why ever I had the right to name her, will remain a mystery to me forever. And that is a problem, since you are strongly connected to her.“<br/>"Yes.“<br/>"May I give you the solution?“<br/>"Might as well, Tobirama sighed.<br/>"The historic imperative.“, she stated.<br/>"The what now?“<br/>"It is only a theory, but given that this is a first on time traveling being successful, you can‘t be picky.“<br/>"I am not being- nevermind.“, Mitos cold stare shut him up.<br/>"The historic imperative says, that History will find a way to make key moments happen. I would say a person being born, is a key moment.“<br/>"At least for that person.“, Tobirama snorted.<br/>"Yes. You have to hope that Tsunade will be born. Just not as my granddaughter.“<br/>"What if she is not born?“ he asked and glared at her.<br/>"You can‘t get stuck on things you can‘t change, Tobirama. The leaves will fall, if you want it or not. Life comes into existence or not. But that is something that we can‘t control. Only give it room to happen. You have to come to terms with the fact that she might not be part of your family, but alive. And if she is not alive? Well, then you can‘t make her be born. Except of course if you plan to take a wife yourself.“, the smirk that was gracing her face at the last sentence was evil.<br/>"No thanks!“ he growled. Only the thought of it made his stomach turn.<br/>"Don‘t fret and fear what may or may not be. The change, where you can make the future a better place for everyone, is happening right now.“<br/>"Even if it means not having Tsunade.“<br/>"I am afraid so.“<br/>"I would rather have her live in a place, where she is safe and happy. Then live and die like she did.“<br/>"I don‘t know what happened, or what you have seen, Tobirama. But my advice is: Take some time to process all of it. It sounded to me like you had no grieving time at all.“<br/>"Grieving? I-“ his voice stopped suddenly, not reacting to anything he tried to make it work again. His throat felt as if someone was choking him, his heart felt as if it was squeezed into the size of a single drop. His vision became blurry and was swaying widly, focusing on anything was impossible.<br/>Mito moved over the bed and sat beside him, her hand finding a secure place between his shoulder blades.<br/>Something hot was running down his cheeks, and he needed several seconds to notice that it must be tears.<br/>"Grieving takes time. It is not something you do in one sitting. But you have to work through it over a long period of time.“<br/>Tobirama crumbled. He thought he had managed it. But no. He hadn‘t. Of course not. One time crying in the arms of his brother would not magically solve the pain of losing everything, even so he now had most of it again.<br/>He wanted to scream and yell. How unfair it is and that he couldn‘t handle it anymore. He wanted his feelings to stop. He had no time, nor right to feel this. But still no sound would come from him.<br/>And then he collapsed, his head falling into Mito's lap.<br/>Her hand rested on his hair, moving it slowly around in a circling motion.<br/>"It is okay to feel the loss. It is okay to be hurt. You have all the right to cry.“<br/>He breathed heavily into her skirts and sniffed.<br/>They remained like that for several moments. Quiet and the only movement Mitos hand in his hair.<br/>And Tobirama wondered, if this is what it felt like to have a mother.</p><p>----------------------------------------</p><p>The talk with Madara had been … enlightening. Of course Izuna had also been teased. They were siblings. And it was something he couldn‘t have hidden from him, they knew each other too well, and after Madara knew there was no way he could have avoided the teasing.<br/>Of course Madara had been surprised. Shocked even. But he had processed it very quickly and had gotten to laughing at Izuna for some minutes. And after that they had talked. A lot.<br/>It had given him several things to think about.<br/>One of them was that the Senjus were in the exact same position as the Uchihas.<br/>They had lost their people, their family members, to the fighting against the Uchihas.<br/>He had never spent one thought about the possibility of it, that his enemies had families of their own, people they loved and were loved by. It had been far easier to fight without the thought that he was killing an actual human person. And that his actions would have consequences for people he had never met, possibly even children. Just like Kagami, who had lost his older brother just a week ago (and still refused to leave his room).<br/>The thought of peace was a wonderful dream.<br/>But it would remain a dream. Dreams didn‘t become reality. That is why there were called dreams after all, right?<br/>His brother had still hope, deep inside of him, that peace would come one day.<br/>Izuna was not so optimistic.<br/>You couldn‘t have peace just by shaking the hand of another. Peace took effort. On both sides.<br/>Right now, his clan was not even close to let go of their rage of having lost so many. And what he got to hear on the battlefields, the Senjus were not closer to it.<br/>But it had helped to realize his …. fascination with the white haired Senju in. If he would always remember that a dream was just that, he couldn‘t get hurt. At least not much. He didn‘t know the other one, and so all the little scenarios he had thought about, he could lock them away.<br/>It helped that the Senju seemed to think of him as an idiot. The glares and scrunched up faces, surely of hate and disgust, were a very successful way to keep Dream and Reality separated.<br/>Just because he dreamed of a Tobirama Senju, sitting right next to him and watching the koi‘s, with a soft smile on his face, didn‘t mean that the real one wouldn‘t cut him to pieces if he had the chance.<br/>It really was a shame that they were enemies, Izuna thought. What he wouldn‘t do, to make the pale cheeks flush brilliantly red…<br/>But it would remain a dream, only a thing for the nighttime, a nice thought before drifting to sleep. And it would remain as just that. A thought, a dream, a fantasy. Nothing real.</p><p>------------------------------------</p><p>"Mito?“ he asked, his eyes focused on the seal he was drawing. Not daring to look up. He was still a little bit embarrassed about what had happened, and he felt off. A little dried up and a thundering headache had formed in his head.<br/>"Yes?“<br/>"About that historic imperative… would you say a person dying is a key moment as well?“ The brush made the curve perfectly and he put a dot carefully right next to it.<br/>"I think so. But it is far easier to control than the creation of a new human. Why?“<br/>"My whole plan fails, when one person dies.“, he mumbles, hoping that keeping the fact quiet wouldn‘t become too hard.<br/>"Big weakness.“ Of course she did not have the problem of pointing out the big problem.<br/>"He is strong.“, Tobirama looked at the seal. Comparing it to his memory.<br/>"But?“<br/>"But what?“ he frowned. Was this sign right?<br/>"You are worried. Why else would you have asked me?“ Dang, she was good.<br/>"Ah. Well, he seems … different than I remember.“, he decided that the sign was right. It had to be.<br/>"Maybe because you see him differently?“<br/>"No.“ he snorted. "I know him. And he is acting strange. As if he lost his balance or his ground.“<br/>"Maybe other things changed as well. After all, nothing is stable when it comes to humans and their actions, and emotions.“<br/>"You think something changed somewhere else?“<br/>"It is a possibility. After all, I changed something as well. Right?“<br/>Fuck. If other things changed as well… That could become a big problem.<br/>"To be honest, nothing really changed.“, Mito huffed.<br/>"What do you mean? Everything changed.“<br/>"No. Face it, this is the present. Other people are making their decisions as well. Nothing is set in stone. It never was.“<br/>"How do people handle this pressure?“<br/>"They don‘t. We tend to forget that we are changing reality with every breathing moment and with every little action. Because if we would, we would freeze with the stress of it.“<br/>"Happening right over here.“, Tobirama points at himself.<br/>"Horrifying feeling, isn‘t it?“<br/>"Yes. How do I stop it?“<br/>"Good question. Let‘s find it out, shall we?“</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Time for some Homicide :)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Thank you all so much for the Kudos and the Comments :D &lt;3 They were all so lovely. &lt;3&lt;3<br/>Looking forward to what you think of this one :) &lt;3</p>
<p>We are getting into some Grey Areas of Morality here.<br/>And I certainly don't remember Hashirama becoming Clanhead this way.</p>
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    <p>Madara couldn‘t believe what he had heard. This could not be true.<br/>Hashirama would never… right?<br/>This was not right. This could not be true. It had to be a lie.<br/>"Aniki.“, Izuna sat down next to him, swinging his leg over the edge of the cliff. "Do you want to talk about it?“<br/>Madara sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. "I – I just… I can‘t believe it.“<br/>Izuna nodded "Yeah. It does sound far fetched. I mean, we don‘t even know if it is true or just a rumor.“<br/>"I -“, Madara hesitated for a moment. "I am not so sure about that.“<br/>"You know him, right?“ Izuna threw a pebble down, watching it fall.<br/>"I think so. But we haven‘t talked in the last few years. And people do change.“<br/>"Was he that strong?“<br/>"Sometimes. But he was so… pure. On the other hand, he is strong. And with enough motivation or pressure... Maybe?“ Madara's face scrunched into a confused state of fear and worry.<br/>"Killing his own father?! You really think that he would be able to do that? Emotionally, I mean. He's strong, no question there. But he seems like“, Izuna hummed thoughtfully.<br/>"Like a naive idiot.“ Madara finished.<br/>"Yes!“<br/>"I don‘t know, Izuna. Hashirama was a child back then, just like I was. And even back then he had a strong instinct to protect. Especially when it came to his family.“<br/>"See.”, Izuna smiled and his legs bumped against the stone again. “What father told us is just a silly rumor. A bad one, but still just a rumor.“ He threw his arm around Madara and tried to hug him sideways, without falling off the cliff.<br/>Madara sighs. "Where was Butsuma Senju then when we faced them yesterday?“<br/>"Maybe he had to be somewhere else?“<br/>Madara looked unconvinced.<br/>"Ok“, Izuna admitted. "Not a strong possibility, given his enormous hate and stubbornness. Maybe he is just sick.“<br/>"Then why were Hashirama and Tobirama also not there? It is so unlike the Senjus to face us without them.“<br/>"Would we go to battle if our Father was sick?“<br/>"Yes. We would still be sent out. We can not miss a battle just because someone else is sick. We are the strongest in our clan. And the same goes for Hashirama and Tobirama.“<br/>"Ok. But we are Uchihas. We work differently than the Senjus. Maybe-“ Izuna tried to wave it away, knowing it wouldn’t work. He himself doubted what he was saying.<br/>"No. Something happened. Something really bad, Izuna. And I don‘t know what consequences are going to come from it.“<br/>"For us or for them?“<br/>Madara just shrugged and stood up.<br/>"Aniki?“ Izuna looked up at him.<br/>"Mh?“<br/>"I am sure that it is not true. People blow things out of proportion all the time.“, he smiled reassuringly. He knew how important Hashirama was to Madara. The news really had rattled him.<br/>"Yeah. Yeah, you‘re right. It is not as bad as I am painting it.“, Madara snorted and shook his head. "Of course it isn‘t. This is Hashirama, the Master of Positivity and Smiling Sunflowers, we are talking about.“<br/>"Smiling Sunflowers?“ standing up, Izuna tried to form a logical answer to that picture and what it meant.<br/>"You don‘t want to know.“<br/>"No. I do. I want to know. You can’t just give me something like that, and then not explain! Aniki! Tell me!“<br/>"Fine.“, Madara sighed defeatedly. "He may or may have not created a sunflower, where the seeds formed a smile.“<br/>"Oh my god“, whispered Izuna, his hand in front of his mouth, trying to keep the giggle inside him.<br/>"It was not pretty. It was horrifying, I tell you. He told me that he just wanted a nice smile, but that what actually came out of it was a psychotic smile of a killer, on the sunflowers.“<br/>Izuna gasped, trying to get some air inside himself, which was hard because he couldn’t stop laughing hysterically.<br/>"He looked so sad“, Madara grinned "As if the sunflowers had betrayed him.“</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Touka plopped air out of her mouth “Okaaay. Soooo. That happened.”<br/>Tobirama looked down on his arm, where Hashirama was busy bandaging him up. He was still processing what happened himself and how to solve the horrible consequences that would be heading their way very quickly. Why could nothing stay the way it had been the first time around? Oh yeah. Because he changed too much. Like the fucking idiot he was. And now Hashirama could lose his head.<br/>“Can one know what happened?” Touka asked sheepishly.<br/>“I thought everyone already knows.”, said Hashirama calmly.<br/>“Well, yes. But no. I mean, what I know is that you, Hashirama, killed Batsuma. But that is it. Why? And how? And Why?!” Touka waved her hands around the air, almost hitting Mito's hair pin and only missing it by chance, getting the beads hanging down from it to jingle wildly around. “Not that I think that was bad. He had it coming for a long time.”<br/>“Touka, please at least try to control where your hands are going.”, Mito reached for the pin, making sure it still was safely tucked into the hair and holding it up in a bun.<br/>Hashirama nodded at Tobirama, showing that the treatment of his arm was finished, for now.<br/>“And why are you bandaging Tobi-kun up, instead of healing him?”<br/>“It is better when the body heals itself, instead of speeding it up. Especially when it is chakra from another person doing so.”, Hashirama smiled and sat down at the table. His hand reached for the tea. “Even when it is family.” Mito nodded in understanding, clearly putting this information into her long term memory.<br/>“I want some answers, people!” Touka's hands started to drum on the table.<br/>“Patience, young one.”, hummed Hashirama and poured Mito and then himself some tea.<br/>“Don’t you dare quote Grandpa Rento at me.”, she squinted at him.<br/>Hashirama sighed and looked into his cup.<br/>“Where to start…”, he whispered. “We all knew how much Butsuma and the elders didn’t like Tobi.”<br/>The girls nodded.<br/>“And they found out, that it was Tobirama who found the kinship of the Senjus and Uzumakis. And they strongly believed, and still do, that he had at least his hands in our declaration of not marrying each other. Making him responsible for it.”<br/>Mito breathed in sharply and whispered “Oh no.”<br/>“Oh yes.”, Tobirama declared dramatically.<br/>“Look, he is talking again.”, Touka laughed and as a reaction she only got a shoulder shrug.<br/>“Do you want the answers or not?” Hashirama answered.<br/>“Sorry, sorry. I'll be quiet now.”<br/>“As I said”, Hashirama sighed. “They made Tobirama responsible for things that didn’t go as planned. And Batsuma, being the extreme …” Hashirama made a pause, unsure on what word to pick.<br/>“Asshole?” Touka volunteered.<br/>“Okay. Yeah. Extreme asshole he is, decided to solve all his problems by killing Tobirama.”<br/>Silence filled the room.<br/>“Seriously?” Touka's shout made all of them jump a little. “If problems could be solved that easily we would have no issues with any other clan in this world. Given that we at least killed one of them. What a load of shit.”<br/>“Thank you for that input, Touka.”<br/>“You are welcome!”<br/>“I was not aware of this. They had meetings about this without me, which goes against clan protocol, just so you know. And so I found out about this, when Batsuma was already trying to kill Tobirama.”<br/>“Holy Shit.”, cursed Touka quitely.<br/>“I was in the kitchen, washing the dinner plates off. And the only thing that stopped him from slitting my throat was my arm. My brow itched and so I planned to scratch it, just as he put the knife around me.”, Tobirama put his hands around his tea cup, trying to calm his heart down. It was not warm anymore, since it stood there untouched since Hashirama started to treat his injury. Trying to ground himself in reality, he thought to himself that he was safe and nobody was behind him.<br/>“And that was the moment I walked in. Butsuma behind Tobirama, trying to strangle or cut his throat and Tobirama trying not to die. And I- I just- I snapped, I guess.”<br/>“No wonder. Anyone would have.”<br/>“But not everyone would spike their own father.”, Hashirama hid his pale face behind his hands, he looked very sick. “This is not good.”<br/>“No, it isn’t.”, Tobirama agreed.<br/>“Tobi, you are not helping!” Mito chastised him.<br/>“What? I am not saying he shouldn’t have done that. But there are consequences. Hashirama killed our father, there is no denying that fact. And if we don’t act quickly, they will call for his head. And I won't let that happen! The time, where you all were busy patching me up or sitting around being annoying, I actually came up with a plan.”<br/>“Hey!” Touka pouted. “I admit, I may have been a little annoying”<br/>“A little?!”<br/>“But! Mito did nothing wrong, ok?”<br/>“Did you come up with a solution to stop the elders from executing Hashirama?” Tobirama turned his face to her.<br/>Mito shook her head, “Every idea I had until now would not work or would just create another problem.”<br/>“Ok. I admit that she was at least a little productive.”<br/>“So, you said you found a solution?” Mito took a sip from her tea.<br/>“Declaring Butsuma as having lost his mind.”<br/>“That is a dangerous move.”, the cup made a small clinking sound as she sat it down again.<br/>“The only one that can work.”, Hashirama smiled brightly. “The Elder can not admit to the plan to kill Tobirama. It would get the clan to mistrust them, and definitely would get some of them removed from the council. Tobirama is well liked.”<br/>“I am?”, “He is?” Tobirama and Touka  both asked, surprised by this.<br/>“He is.”, Mito grinned. “Especially by the younger ones.”<br/>“That makes so much sense.”, hummed Touka.<br/>Tobirama could only mutter “Oh. that is nice.”<br/>Mito picked up where Hashirama had stopped, since neither Tobirama nor Hashirama seemed able to continue.<br/>“When Tobirama and Hashirama tell the story out of what happened, there can only be one logical solution. Butsuma suffered a psychotic break down, trying to kill his son or even sons. And Hashirama saved Tobirama from a madman.”<br/>“That is a very good explanation, probably because it is true. Butsuma was not a sane normal person. Not in the last years, at least. The shouting, hitting walls, taking bigger risks than necessary. Not to speak of the gruesome torture a month ago. Warning signs.” Touka moved her hands in a circling motion, underlining her statement that Butsuma had clearly lost it. “But just out of curiosity.”<br/>Everyone sighed.<br/>“Bear with me. What would be the other, not logical, explanation?” her grin spread over her face. “Just want to know what else one could tell people.”<br/>“Possession of a demon.”, Sighed Mito.<br/>“Well, that can’t be true.”, she snorted. “We all know that the possessed demons in this family are just me and Tobirama, If any.”<br/>Tobirama sniggered, remembering the few times where he had to dress up as a demon, his red eyes being an amazing help with it.<br/>“Well,” Mito laid her head to the side “to be honest, I could actually contain a demon in my body. I would not be possessed. I would function like a vessel or prison for it. So if anyone here could be a demon, it would be me.”<br/>“Say what now?!” Touka turned sharply to her.</p>
<p>----<br/>Hashirama breathed in deeply.<br/>He could do this. He could do this. He could-<br/>The Uchihas arrived and were clearly confused by what they were seeing.<br/>Hashirama stood in front of the other Senjus, no one stood next to him, only Tobirama was standing close behind him. Everyone else was still in sight, but it was clear that they would need some time to reach him.<br/>“What is this?” spat Tajima Uchiha and Hashirama swallowed.<br/>He could do this. His dream could become a reality, if he didn’t fuck this up.<br/>“I am here to offer you the possibility of peace, Uchiha-san.”, he took a step closer.<br/>On instinct his eyes jumped to Madara, who was standing close behind his father, like Tobirama was standing behind him. And Hashirama could feel a soft smile forming on his face. He always was glad to see Madara, even when it was on a battlefield on opposite sides. It was always good to see that Madara was healthy, or at least looked like it, and in a way safe. But Madara did not smile back, he never did. His face remained stoick, unmoving, in that resting scowl he already had as a child. Hashirama always thought it was a shame that Madara didn’t smile often, but it made the times where he had and did so much more special to him.<br/>“And how could you have the power to do this, child?”<br/>Hashirama focused back onto Tajima Uchiha, the clan head of the Uchihas, the one person he had to convince.<br/>“I am since last week the clan head of the Senjus.”, he had been worried about the prospect of not being taken seriously. One would think, that in a society where children learned to kill as grown-ups, said grown-ups would take them more seriously; but they didn’t, they never did.   But Hashirama was not a child anymore Sometimes he wondered if he had stopped being a child on that fateful day by the river, where his best friend declared himself to be his enemy.<br/>“So it is true. You murdered him.”<br/>Ah yes. That was another point. The story had spread like wildfire, and putting it out would take months, if not years, or forever.<br/>Hashirama could fill Tobirama shifting behind him just so slightly.<br/>He knew that he had done the right thing, and it hadn’t been murder. Technically. (But putting technically behind it, does not make it better. Still not good.)<br/>“Murder? You can’t murder a mad animal, Uchiha-san. Kill, yes. But not murder.”, and it was true, wasn’t it?<br/>When had the hate of Butsuma fully transformed him into something that wasn’t human anymore? When had he fallen? Or had it been a slippery slope, that no one would have been able to stop as soon as he had taken a step on it?<br/>“Really? A lie of a child that doesn’t want to take responsibility for what it did.”, Tajima scowled, and for a moment Hashirama saw the Butsumas face like a layer underneath it. The same hateful and wild look, mixed with disdain. <br/>The screech of two swords meeting with extreme force ripped through the space, giving every brain that heard it a flash of pain.<br/>Hashirama hadn’t moved, nor had he blinked. He still stood in the same position as before.<br/>But Tajima had pulled his sword, and aimed his blow at his neck, clear in the plan to behead him. The only thing that stopped him was Tobirama, who seemed to have flickered from his position behind Hashirama to now being in front of him, and his short sword.<br/>Hashirama sighed. Well, it hadn’t worked. He had fucked it up. But that did not mean that he would give up.<br/>For a few seconds nothing and nobody moved. But then Hashirama could hear the yells, screams and growls of anger behind him. And he sighed again, he already felt tired.<br/>“Do not talk lightly about things you know nothing about.”, stated Tobirama in a cold voice, and pushed Tajima away.<br/>And then hell broke loose, the rest of their clan had arrived. And soon the well known battlefield was in full swing.<br/>Since Batsuma had normally faced Tajima, they now had one powerful fighter against them without a counterpart.<br/>Madara made a sound of surprise, when Hashirama formed a clone of himself. Right, he had never done this in battle before, only at home for some chores (washing the dishes is not fun, okay?). He actually never had intended to use them in battle, but right now he had no option on being picky, if he wanted less dead people.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Crying and Hugs can help you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sooooo. Finally. I am finished. And content with it.<br/>Madara gets some answers. And new questions.<br/>And Hashirama ... gets a free hug out of this deal.<br/>I hope you enjoy this chapter!<br/>Thank you so much for all the Kudos &lt;3 :D<br/>And of course, all the comments. Each one is appreciated with a lot of love from me. &lt;3 :D</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Madara let the stone slip out of his hand and skip over the river.<br/>He needed time. He wasn‘t sure for what, there were too many things to do and to figure out. And his thoughts only kept running in circles, always coming back that he needed to think about what happened and that he needed time for it (he probably spend at least a day about thinking that he needed time, than actually thinking about it). And then to the point that he didn‘t know what happened. What actually happened.<br/>From what he knew…<br/>Hashirama had killed Butsuma Senju.<br/>But why?<br/>His Father was convinced that the reason was the hunger for power over the Clan.<br/>But that wasn‘t Hashirama. At least, not the Hashirama he knew.<br/>A clicking sound to his feet pulled his attention.<br/>His skin started to crawl. Something was off.<br/>A Stone clacked onto the shore, making the same sound as before.<br/>Finally Madaras brain caught up with what happened.<br/>He looked to the other side. And just as it had to be, someone stood there.<br/>Two someones to be precise.<br/>Hashirama and Tobirama. Hashirama waved to him with that typical grin of his, turned to his brother and seemed to tell him something.<br/>Tobirama didn‘t seem to happy, but he never seemed happy with anything. So that didn‘t really count. And then the younger Senju turned around, jumping back into the wood and leaving Hashirama alone. Alone with Madara.<br/>Hashirama's face was still as soft and open as it had been all these years ago. There were harder lines, of course. But that was to be expected. He grew up, and so he didn’t have the chubby face of a child.<br/>Hashirama walked over the river.<br/>Warmth streamed in Madara up, his belly was turning and churning. A jittery feeling spread all over him.<br/>Then Hashirama stopped, right in the middle and just looked. Waiting.<br/>Waiting for Madara.</p><p> </p><p>And he had no idea what to do.<br/>Hashirama was his enemy. His Archenemy.<br/>But here he was. Without weapons. Open and waiting for Madara.<br/>He could just throw a fireball and kill him right there, standing on the river. His father would definitely want him to do that.<br/>But Madara didn‘t.<br/>He was confused. Just like the first day they had meet. He had needed time away from everything and everyone. And Hashirama had helped him, by just being there, to get order into his thoughts and feelings.<br/>And so Madara crossed the river to Hashirama.<br/>They stood in front of each other. Not a word was uttered. None of them moved.<br/>They just … were.<br/>Together.<br/>It felt so right to be here.<br/>Madara sighed and looked down to his feet, breaking the spell.<br/>The water was clear, just as it always had been.<br/>„I am glad to see that you didn‘t unlearn the right way of skipping a stone across the river.“, something swung in Hashirama's voice. As if he wanted to say something else, but didn‘t know how or what it was supposed to be.<br/>Madara scoffed at his Childhood Friend „Of course not. It isn‘t that hard.“<br/>Silence fell over them again. Both of them not knowing what to say or ask. Several moments passed in silence.<br/>„So Tobirama is alright with you being alone with an Uchiha?“ Yes. That was a good question. Remember him that you are on different sides. Good job, Madara, you Idiot.<br/>„Well...“, Hashirama smiled softly at him. „I do believe that Tobirama is convinced that no Uchiha is dangerous to me, except for you.“<br/>„He would be correct there.“, Madara crossed his arms. „That still doesn‘t explain why he left you with me.“<br/>„Ah. See. That is the difference for Tobirama. It is Madara he is leaving me with. In his eyes, you are not a danger.“ That made even less sense than before. But that was Hashirama for you. Or was it Tobirama? He never understood how the two could be brothers, they had nothing in common. Or so he thought. Maybe they had the same weird craziness.<br/>„I cut your leg last week!“ he pointed out.<br/>„Oh yes. Nice Move by the way. I did not see that one coming.“, the grin thrown his way was still as blinding as ever. „Don‘t worry. It healed very well.“<br/>„Why should I care about that?!“ he spat.<br/>„Oh. You don‘t?“ The gloom settled over Hashirama, his shoulders sunk down. Apparently several things hadn’t changed.<br/>„Just- I-“, Madara stuttered. Of course he cared. But he couldn‘t say that! Rescuing himself from the escalating situation, he backpaddled to the original topic. „Don‘t change the topic! I am still an Uchiha and your enemy. It doesn‘t explain why Tobirama would leave you alone with me.“<br/>Hashirama perked up again. „It actually does explain it.“<br/>„No. No, it doesn‘t.“, The two definitely shared the same craziness, no doubt.<br/>„You are my friend.“<br/>That simple statement threw Madara completely off. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again. Closed it.<br/>He had to look like a fish on land.<br/>„Tobirama knows that you wouldn‘t kill me. I don‘t know how he knows that. I personally guess it is because he is a genius. But that is neither here nor there. He just knows things.“, Hashirama shrugged. „And he – and I quote him here – doesn‘t want to babysit us or play Chaperone - I have no idea why he said that, but oh well -, Especially since he has more important things to do. Apparently he almost solved the – ahm“ Hashirama closed his mouth and has his usual look when he noticed that he said or almost said something he shouldn‘t have said. It was a look of guilt the pure definition of ‘whoops’.<br/>“Almost solved what?” Madara squinted. If Tobirama solved something it had to mean trouble for them.<br/>“Nothing.”, came the squawked answer.<br/>“Mhmh. Sure.”, Madara crossed his arms. “Let’s get back to the point. Your father.”<br/>“Ahhh.”, Hashirama hummed. “Yes. That.”<br/>“What happened?”<br/>“He tried to kill Tobirama.”, Hashirama's face was unmoving. Such an unusual sight, that it was the worst kind of a nightmare.<br/>Madaras breath stopped for a moment. He gasped unbelieving “no”<br/>“Believe me. I wish it was a lie. But when I stepped into the kitchen…”, Hashirama's eyes clouded over. “I will have nightmares for years to come, for sure. Butsuma trying to strangle Tobirama from behind, and Tobirama holding onto dear life. I don’t think I have to explain further.”<br/>“No. No, you don’t.”, Madara flinched. Their love to their younger siblings had been the fact they bonded over. Just imagining losing Izuna made his heart clench, his stomach drop and his knees started to buckle. And when it was the own father taking the live? That had to be awful.<br/>“I hate to say it. But I didn’t even hesitate.”, when Madara looked up he saw the tears falling streaming down from Hashirama's face. “I killed my father, Mada. Without any remorse of hesitation. Even so he was filled with Hate for several years, he was still my father. How could I do something like that?” sobbed Hashirama.<br/>Madara's body moved on his own accord, and so he found Hashirama clinging to him in his arms. His body shaked hard and the sobs sounded like a hurt animal. Not knowing what to say or do, Madara just kept holding him. He felt the tears hitting his shirt, and didn’t care.<br/>He just kept holding Hashirama through the Pain. He couldn’t say anything, because ‘it will be okay.’ or ‘It is alright’ were lies, and Hashirama knew that.<br/>“But your brother is alive.”, Who had said that? Had he said that? Where had that come from?<br/>The sobbs from Hashirama got quieter and the body stopped shaking. He was still crying, but was calmer than before. Just in case it would start again, Madara kept holding him.<br/>“Yeah.”, came the wet reply. “But for what price.”<br/>Madara pulled Hashirama closer to himself.<br/>“I know. But there was no other option.”<br/>“There should have been. I could have just made him incapable of moving or-”<br/>“Listen!” the grip on Hashirama had to hurt him, so firmly Madara hold onto him. “It is always easier to say later that another way would have been better. But would it be better? No One knows that. We like telling ourselves that. But if it is true or not? We will never know. And if you wouldn’t have killed him? Do you really believe that Tobirama would be safe?”<br/>“No.”, whispered Hashirama into the black hair.<br/>“And so there was no other option for you in that moment.”<br/>“I hate killing. I hate hurting others.”<br/>“We live in a time of war, Hashirama.”<br/>“I hate that, especially.”<br/>“I know.”, Madara held him even closer, trying to press the cracks that seemed to have formed in his best friends heart away. “Me too.”<br/>But a Hug would never be able to fix these scars. They would remain. But maybe they would stop bleeding and hurting.<br/>“I miss you.”<br/>Madara wasn’t sure if he really had heard the last sentence. But before he could ask for a repeat, Hashirama pulled away.<br/>“Thank you.”, and with that soft sentence, Hashirama left.<br/>Madara looked for several minutes where Hashirama's back had vanished into the woods.<br/>Well. That had been confusing.<br/>Now he needed time to think about what just had happened. And how he felt about that.<br/>He could still feel the wet spot of Hashirama's tears on his shirt.</p><p>--------</p><p>Tobirama pointed at something, that stood at the other side of the table. His eyes were half-open and he yawned.<br/>„You want this?“ Hashirama reached for the cheese.<br/>Tobirama shook his head, snipped his fingers and still pointed in the same direction.<br/>„This?“<br/>Shake, Snipping, Pointing.<br/>„This?“<br/>Shake, more angry snipping, more angry pointing. How could his brother not see what he meant? And why were so many things on the table?!<br/>„What? Just say it.“<br/>Tobirama glared at Hashirama, yawning again.<br/>„Oh no.“, Touka said noisily, plastering marmalade on her bread. „How can you demand that one Tobirama Senju spoke? To us? He would never! The audacity!“<br/>„The … the thing.“, yawning Tobirama snipped again.<br/>„You don‘t remember the word?“ Mito looked worried at him.<br/>Tobirama nodded. Of course Mito understood him and his problems. She was the only one. Hashirama and Touka were just mean stupid heads.<br/>„Ok, describe it then.“, Hashirama smiled patiently at him.<br/>„Important for body functions. Fighting. Shower. Wet. Lake. River.”, Tobirama rubbed his face, hoping to wake himself up with the movement.<br/>„Water?“ Touka asked confused.<br/>„Yes! Water!“ That was the word!<br/>„Are you ok?“ She asked, now also very worried.<br/>„Since I did not know the word water, I would go with no.“, he sighed.<br/>„Back to Bed, it is, Tobes.“, Hashirama stood up to bring his little brother back to his room. With force if necessary.<br/>„What did you do that are you this tired?“ Mito took a sip from her green tea.<br/>„I finally figured out how I can make the plumbing system run!“ The Grin that was splitting Tobirama's face could be described as maniacally.<br/>Hashirama pulled him up from the chair and pushed him to the door.<br/>“Can I at least get the thing before I go back to sleep?” whined Tobirama.<br/>“You mean the water?” Touka grinned.<br/>“Yeah. Can I?”<br/>“Sure, Tobi. Here you go. Now off to bed.”, Hashirama pressed a glass of water in his hands.<br/>“Nighty night.”, mumbled Tobirama and stumbled out of the room, followed by a worried Hashirama.<br/>“Nighty night?” asked Mito.<br/>“I think his brain finally exploded.”, stated Touka. “But now that the two idiots are gone… Say, do you have something planned today? We could do a Girls Only Day.”, she winked at Mito, who blushed crimson red and hid her face behind her mug.<br/>“I would not be opposed to it.”</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Your place of safety</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hashirama meditades and finally has time to think about some stuff.<br/>Madara has a revelation and a shocking new ability.<br/>Izuna talks about dreams and reality. And has apparently an odd habit of spying on someone... (can you guess who?)<br/>What don't we do for the people we love?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hashirama finally found time to rethink.<br/>After the talk with Madara, he had hardly time to eat dinner, before Touka had complained about not having any training partner. And so after one hour later, he had fallen asleep with heavy bones.<br/>Now after he had put Tobirama finally to bed, he had time.<br/>Apparently Tobirama had not slept in the night, too caught up to write down an idea he had thought and seemed to have experimented on in the afternoon.<br/>Hashirama sat in his bedroom and meditated, trying to settle his mind that was running around in chaotic circles, not really giving him the chance to think just of one thing, but giving him at least four topics that he should think about right now at the same time.<br/>He focused on his breathing.<br/>Again a thought showed up and Hashirama breathed in deeply.<br/>In. Hold. Out.<br/>A bird was singing outside and the wind rustled the leaves of the tree in front of his window.<br/>In. Hold. Out.<br/>He heard the door close. Mito and Touka were leaving, he could hear their voices drifting in from the outside.<br/>In. Hold. Out.<br/>These two were getting along great. Mito still blushed every five minutes, because of the bold flirting from Touka. And Hashirama could see the future of the two. It could be beautiful and peaceful. If only the world would not be so hateful and judgemental about how a proper relationship should look like. And on the other hand they refused to let others judge relationships that were clearly hurting one of the partners.<br/>In. Hold. Out.<br/>Let the frustration go. Breath it out of your body.<br/>In. Hold. Out. Out!<br/>Hashirama gasped. That may have been too strong.<br/>He coughed slightly and tried to get back to his rhythm.<br/>In. Hold. Out.<br/>The Elders had clearly not been too happy with anything Hashirama did. There had been an outrage after he had extended the offer of peace to the Uchihas.<br/>He had not really cared for the little tantrum.<br/>Especially since they refused to let Tobirama into the meeting.<br/>It worried Hashirama. After all. Butsuma had officially worked – if you could call it that – alone. But a deep part of him told him that there were others, agreeing with Butsuma and his view. If they did try anything - <br/>In. Hold. Out.<br/>Tobirama was now more aware of the danger as well. There was never a time now where he was without at least one Kunai. Since he had disagreed loudly with the idea of a „Buddy-system“ as Touka called it.<br/>In. Hold. Out.<br/>It was fine. For now.<br/>Let it be. He couldn‘t change it anyway. Not yet.<br/>In. Hold. Out.<br/>In. Hold. Out.<br/>And Madara had been so kind. Once again.<br/>He had listened to him, even so he had no reason to do so.<br/>And he gave even more. A shoulder for Hashirama to find his strength again.<br/>Madara was his unwavering stone in the ocean storm, that was called life.<br/>He could not imagine a life where Madara was not around. It wasn’t possible. He needed Madara like a plant needed the sun. Without him he would wither and eventually die.<br/>The gentle soul of his best friend was always unseen by others. Just because they couldn’t see past his moody face and the reputation he held.<br/>In. Hold. Out.<br/>The confusion Madara had over the fact that Tobirama had left them alone, was something Hashirama had shared at the beginning.<br/>Tobirama's opinion on the Uchihas was surprisingly forgiving. He had not forgotten, but he did not hold a grudge either. Especially to Madara.<br/>Every time Hashirama brought him up, for the planning of the treaty, a sad and far of look came into Tobi’s eyes each time. If he didn’t know better, Hashirama would say Tobirama felt guilty and regret. But how could that be? He never faced Madara in a battle, nor did they talk. So that was impossible<br/>When he asked him about his opinion on Madara, Tobi had answered quietly. In his eyes Madara was someone close to his older brother, closer than anyone else. And therefore Tobirama had said that Madara would never hurt Hashirama, as long as he was in the right state of mind.<br/>The last bit worried Hashirama. It had sounded like Tobirama was talking out of an experience. Or as a sort of warning prophecy.<br/>In. Hold. Out.<br/>Madara was stubborn as he was proud. Hashirama had been at the receiving end of it more often than not.<br/>Would Madara be too proud to ask for help?<br/>Or was he already missing the silent call of his best friend?<br/>Madara helped him so often. And what had he done? Had he ever given him a safe place to be vulnerable? Like he had found yesterday in Madaras arms?<br/>He could not think of one instance.<br/>In. Hold. Out.<br/>Madara was like a prickly cat, if he came to think of it.<br/>Just because he could find calm and love in a touch, didn’t mean others did as well.<br/>Tobirama was a good example for it. He found his safe place with a hot tea and a book to read. And no disturbance.<br/>Hashirama started to think. In what way was Madara finding his peace?</p><p>------------<br/>Madara stared accusingly at the Koi Pond.<br/>This was not something he had expected to find out about his feelings.<br/>“Aniki?” Izuna sat down next to him.<br/>“Hn.”, he grunted and turned to look at his younger brother.<br/>A gasp was his answer.<br/>“Is that- I - What- Are you okay? What happened?” Izuna grapped shocked his shoulders and looked determined into the new awoken sharingan of his brother.<br/>Madara sighed and closed his eyes, trying to deactivate it. With no success.<br/>And so he starred at the Kois in the Pond once again.<br/>“How- Aniki. Who-”<br/>“Noone.”, he whispered. He had been shocked as well, when he had seen his eyes in the Pond. The Mangekyou Sharingan.<br/>The only thing he could think of that could have possibly been the trigger- he didn’t dare to end the thought.<br/>“Should we tell Father?” Izuna laid his hand on his arm.<br/>A soft feeling of support washed through Madara.<br/>“Not yet.”, he mumbled. And finally the Sharingan turned off.<br/>He sighed and slumped against his little brother.<br/>Izuna had grown and matured surprisingly fast in the last years. And at the same time his trust in their father and the Clan Elders had shrunk. A few years ago Izuna would have not asked if the others should know. He would have taken it for granted that they should know. But something had disrupted his trust. It seemed as if that white haired Senjiu had a big impact on him.<br/>“Izuna, remember when you told me, that the information about Hashirama is probably not true?”<br/>Izuna flinched and pulled a face, “Of course.”<br/>“You were right. In a way.”, Madara looked at him and smiled softly.<br/>“What do you mean? He admitted himself, right in front of our father and all of us, that he killed his father.”<br/>“Yes. That fact is true. But his motivation was not what father claimed it to be.”<br/>“What do you mean? His motivation to kill Butsuma? What could possibly bring a person to kill their own father?”<br/>“Love for his last remaining brother.”, Madara whispered softly and pulled Izuna closer to himself.<br/>He had no idea why Butsuma had tried to kill Tobirama, but it scared him. If you could not trust your family; the people you lived with, eat with, let your guard down to sleep safely; who could you trust to keep you safe?<br/>Izuna cuddled into his shoulder “What exactly do you mean with that, Aniki?”<br/>Madara sighed and combed through the long hair of his brothers.<br/>“It is not my story to tell.”, the only people who had the right to tell it were Hashirama and Tobirama. “But know this. I would have done the same thing in his place.”<br/>And he really would have. Losing Izuna would be his worst nightmare. He understood a little bit, just a smidge, how Hashirama said that he didn’t even hesitate for one moment. They both shared the same strong and protective love for their brothers.<br/>Izuna's hug threw him a bit of balance. “I trust you, Aniki.”<br/>Madara smiled softly and hugged him back. They didn’t do this very often. But it made these moments so more precious, then they already were.<br/>“But you have to tell me. What happened?” Izuna pulled back and glared suspiciously at his eyes, now black and without the Sharingan.<br/>“I had a revelation of some sort.”, Madara blushed and turned away.<br/>“Oh Really?” He could hear the smug grin of Izuna.<br/>“Please. Don’t”, he whined.<br/>“Pray tell, Brother. What revelation.”, Izuna kept pushing and poked him in his ribs.<br/>“No.”, grunted Madara.<br/>Izuna gasped and grabbed at his chest “Aniki. How can you? Keeping a secret from you little brother? You wound me!”<br/>“As if you don’t keep secrets from me.”, he eyes Izuna suspiciously.<br/>“I do no such thing.”, Izuna declared offeneded.<br/>“Oh? You sure? What did you do yesterday afternoon?”<br/>Izuna's blush spread fast and bright over all of his face, including his ears.<br/>“Th- That's - That’s none of your business!” he spluttered and started to pout “And it is not as if it is as important as your awakening!” he pouted and crossed his arms.<br/>“Now, now, Zuna-kun. How could you keep a secret from your Aniki? You hurt me.”, mirroring Izunas earlier words, Madara grinned. “Let me guess. It was not very far from the river. Maybe a little bit more north of it?”<br/>“Shut up!”<br/>Ah. So his hunch had been right.<br/>“Spying on him again? Don’t you think that is a little creepy?” he leaned a little bit back, grinning.<br/>“I am not spying! I am training. After all, he is known to be the best sensor. Not like I could get very close. But he was distracted…”<br/>“Was he? What was it?” He leaned forward again. Hashirama had said that Tobirama was trying to solve something. And it was clearly not meant to get out to anyone.<br/>“Water.”<br/>“Water?” Madara pulled his eyebrows up. Was he working on a new Water Jutsu?<br/>“Yeah. He had these weird tubes there and he built a whole system for the water to flow through. He even had some sort of boiler.”<br/>That didn’t sound like a Water Jutsu at all.<br/>“That is confusing. Do you think it is a new fighting style?”<br/>“No.”, Izuna shaked his head. “It needs too much preparation and has no defense points. And it didn’t seem to be offensive in any way. He seemed ecstatic when the water flowed through it, and in other places not. And then he changed it and was even more happy with it. Even so it stopped the water flow. I have no idea what it is. But it seems like he has fun playing with water at least.”<br/>So that was what Tobirama had been doing. That oh so important thing he had to do. Playing with water and tubes…<br/>It was anticlimactic for sure.<br/>“Oh!” Izuna gasped “You changed the subject. You. You- Aniki!”<br/>“Mh. I know that several people curse me for being your older brother. But I had no idea that you were part of them.”<br/>“Oh shut up. Tell me. What happened?” Izuna poked him again, this time on his forehead.<br/>“Hashirama happened.”, it was the simplest way of putting it.<br/>Each time something that had an immense impact on Madara, it had something to do with Hashirama. He didn’t know why or how, but that idiot showed up each and every time.<br/>“What did he do to you?!” Anger flashed over Izunas face.<br/>“Nothing. It is my own fault, really.”<br/>“Huh?” Izuna stared dumbfounded at his older brother.<br/>“I fell for him. For the one person I can not have. And do not deserve.”, Madara looked back at the Pond and saw how the Kois swam in it.<br/>A red one had joined it, just a few months ago. Izuna had not yet named it, claiming that he had not yet an idea of their character. As if that really mattered for him.<br/>“You mean- And that awoke it?”<br/>“I guess. It is the only emotional thing that happened.” Guilt and Shame had washed over him yesterday night. Hashirama was too good for him. If anyone would ask him, he would tell them that Hashirama was an Angel. And He? He was a Demon straight out of Hell. Someone like him could never come close to someone like Hashirama. That he had him as a friend was already a wonder. He could not ask for more.<br/>Izuna scooted closer. So close that he threw his legs over Madaras ones, almost sitting in his lap as if he was still a small child.<br/>“It will be alright, Aniki. After all. Isn’t that your dream? Peace?”<br/>“It was.”<br/>Izuna's face stared at him and he poked him again in the ribs. “Do not lie to your brother. You know what happens to those who lie to their brothers.”<br/>Madara sighed once again. “Yeah. Yeah. They get eaten by the.”<br/>“By the Guguli Monster.”, Izuna finished. “So? Your dream?”<br/>“ Peace.”, whispered Madara. “A life with Hashirama and you. In safety.”<br/>Izuna smiled. “See? Was that so hard?”<br/>“A dream is a dream, Izuna.”, Madara scowled “They remain only that. Reality is nothing like it.”<br/>“True. But for this dream. It is possible, right? Sure. Dreams are not real. That is what makes them dreams. But few of them do become real.”<br/>“And how would this one become real? Pray tell.”<br/>“Well, my dear stupid Aniki. The first step would be a peace treaty with the Senju. Whos Clanhead seems very open to that, if you have forgotten.”<br/>“Father would never agree to it.”, Madara stared blankly at the face of his brother.<br/>Izuna shrugged “Noone lives forever. Especially a Shinobi.”<br/>Madara frowned at Izuna.<br/>“I am not saying that he will die soon.”, he back paddled. “But that he will die. Just like Elder Demenor. Our father is not young anymore. And you will be soon our Leader.”<br/>“What about the Elders? They will never agree to it.”, Madara knew very well how stubborn and hateful they were. Each time they pulled another Horror Story out, when it was time to fight against the Senjus. And new ones got added weekly. One of them was the Story of how coldhearted Hashirama is to kill his own father. As if the old mens knew anything about him!<br/>“Oh. You don’t have to worry about them. They will be like warm butter in my hands.”, Izunas grin spread over his face. “And we will cross that bridge when we come to it. But we will get to the other side, to the reality of your dream. I promise you that.”<br/>“And what about your dream?”<br/>Izuna's smile vanished and his eyes widened for a short moment. Then a nervous laugh filled the air. “What do you mean, Aniki? I want that dream of yours-”<br/>“No. Your dream. You have one as well, don’t you?” Madara pulled him completely on his lap, making sure that Izuna could not escape like he did so often.<br/>“I don’t-”<br/>“Guguli Monster eats the lying brother.”, Madara's face was unmoving, a clear sign that he would not let his brother squirm away from this topic.<br/>Izunas brother sagged and a resigned form of sadness settled over his face.<br/>“Only a few dreams become real, Aniki. Mine is so far away from my reach and from the realm of possibilities. And so it will remain forever a simple dream.”<br/>“Tell me.”, Madara patted Izunas head. Just like he had done thousands of times over and over again, when Izuna had been so much smaller and younger, scared and frightened of the Night and the Shadows lying in every corner, ready to attack.<br/>“Him.”, the single word, whispered so quietly that he only heard it, because between them was hardly any space anymore, and with such vulnerability in it, that it hurt Madaras heart.<br/>“I don’t even know him.”, Izuna whispered, hiding his face in Madara's hair. “It is ridiculous.”<br/>“You fight him, don’t you?”<br/>“Yeah. So what?”<br/>“I think you know him very well. How else could you feel so intensely about that dream?”<br/>“He is probably completely different from how I imagine him to be, Aniki. I have a dream image of him. That is all.”<br/>“Really? What does he like to do most?”<br/>“Reading. Or experimenting.”, Izuna answered without hesitation.<br/>“What annoys him most?”<br/>“Me.”<br/>“Izuna!” Madara growls.<br/>“What? That is only the truth. Okay, maybe you. Wait. No. He hates you.”<br/>“Apparently he doesn’t.”, he hummed.<br/>“Say what.”, Izuna pulled his head out of the hair and looked surprised at his brother's face.<br/>“He left Hashirama alone with me yesterday. And when I asked why Hashirama said that I am not a danger for Hashirama in Tobirama's opinion. Which shows me a great level of trust, if you ask me. After all, from what I know, Tobirama is as protective of Hashirama as you are of me.”<br/>Izuna hummed, he still sounded unsure. But Madara knew that this was as far as he was able to go right now, without getting Izuna to run away.<br/>Time to change the Topic.<br/>“On another topic. How is Kagami?”<br/>Izuna perked up as his favourite Cousin was brought up.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for all the Kudos! &lt;3 You guys are the best.<br/>And of course thank you for all the Comments, I am looking forward to what you think about this chapter. &lt;3 :D<br/>Especially since it just flowed out of me like that. Almost all on one day. :o Creativity Boost, I guess.<br/>Next time: Tobiramas urge to have order in his plans. And Hashirama thinking about some points for the treaty, even so it is still far away.</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Where was I going with this? I had a point...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Oh boy oh boy.<br/>So on Tobiramas side we have some cleaning up and getting order into stuff. And a fight over how to deal with the Elders.<br/>In a completely other part of the world, we have one thinking Izuna.<br/>Nothing much is happening in this chapter. Just finally some insight into what Izuna is thinking, and dreaming.<br/>And of course the absolute horror that planning a village is. Especially if you don't want to break traditions. Or at least not many traditions.</p>
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    <p>Tobirama looked at his room.<br/>Mito and Touka standing left and right to him, also starred.<br/>“And I thought my room was messy.”, mumbled Touka in shock.<br/>“I-”,  Tobirama wanted to start.<br/>“This looks like a typhoon came through here!” stated Mito shocked. “How did this happen?”<br/>“I was busy!”<br/>“With what?” asked Touka confused. “You finished your project a month ago!”<br/>“What project?” What was his cousin talking about?<br/>“The plumbing?”<br/>“Oh. Pf. That.”, Tobirama waved her off. “Yeah. But now I am working on something else. And I can tell you right now: There is an order in this.”<br/>Papers filled with scribbles and sketches laid loose around in the room, proving his words wrong.<br/>“What kind of system is it? Drop it where you are standing?” snorted Mito.<br/>“Okay! I did not bring you here to judge me. I can do that on my own, thank you very much.”, he crossed his arms.<br/>“Sooooo” Touka picked one of the papers up “What exactly did you bring us here to do?”<br/>Tobirama huffed “I need your help to sort all these into the right folders.”, pulling several binders out of one of the many paperpiles, he looked at them expectantly.<br/>“I thought you had a system?” Mito smirked at him.<br/>“I do.”, Tobirama looked at the folders. “Did?” he corrected himself. “Listen, all the planning kind of went out of hand”, he gestured at the whole mess that was his room. The bed wasn’t even visible anymore.<br/>“That far is obvious.”, Touka snorted. “But what exactly is all this?”<br/>“The plans for the new village.”, Tobirama pressed a blue folder into her arms “In this one comes everything regarding the school, the system of the Missions and what classification gets paired up with which class of ninja.” and a red one into Mitos “And in this one everything that has to do with the infrastructure of the village.”<br/>“And these ones?” Mito gestured at the green and the purple folder, which were still in Tobirama's Arms.<br/>“Green for the Treaty. Purple for general rules and everything else.”<br/>“Then let's get started.”, Mito kneeled down and started to read the papers.<br/>Touka stepped to Tobirama “You owe me for this, Tobes. I am giving up a wonderful outing with Mito for this mess.”<br/>“I know, I know. But I can’t do this alone without going crazy, and fifth guessing everything.”<br/>“Fifth guessing?”<br/>“It has to be perfect!”<br/>“Geez. Calm your waters.”, with that she joins her lover on sorting the papers.<br/>Tobirama knowing that he technically didn’t lie to Touka, still felt bad about it.<br/>Of course the plans had to be as perfect as they could get. But that wasn’t why he was so extremely nervous about them. The Presence was not the History he knew anymore. And therefore he felt a little lost on what to do. And so he had started to make a plan to almost everything.<br/>It calmed him down and also kept his mind away from the thought about the possibility that Konoha will not be founded this time.<br/>Maybe if he made a good enough plan for the Village, and off the first draft for the Peacetreaty with the Uchihas, he could plan this horrible possibility away.<br/>Only problem turned out to be, he had too many plans. And then Hashirama's ideas joined in as well. And then he lost control over where what idea went. How was he supposed to find what he needed, when he wasn’t sure where in his room it was? Especially finding it quickly enough.<br/>And so he got help from the only people he trusted enough and would not get distracted by it (Hashirama). Or at least not too much.<br/>“ANBU?” read Touka out loud. “The black Ops?” she looked at Tobirama. “Please tell me you are not planning on joining, if they ever come to exist in that village of Hashiramas.”<br/>“The Hokage and the Council decides who is classified to join or not.”<br/>“And that Council”, Mitos soft voice floated through the room. “Who would be in it?”<br/>Ah. She had found the problem.<br/>“The elders of the clan.”, he mumbles and puts a small not about marriage rules between different clans into the purple folder.<br/>“What?” yelled Touka. “You can’t be serious! These assholes?”<br/>Tobirama sighs. “We can not just not put them in the council. There would be an uproar. Also it wouldn’t be only our elders. But also the elders of the Uchihas, and every other Clan that may join in. Each clan can send in one or two into the Council, to represent their interests.”<br/>Both of them woman lucked angry at him.<br/>“They tried to kill you!” growled Touka.<br/>“That was only Butsuma-”<br/>“Oh? And the missions before that? They had no say in that either?”<br/>“Touka-”<br/>“Don’t ‘Touka’ me.” she poked him into his chest. “There is no way that the village will be good if the old geezers are the ones calling the shots. We would only end up with the same system we have now!”<br/>Tobirama sighed, this would take a while.<br/>Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to ask these two for help...</p><p>--------------</p><p>Izuna kicked a stone away and far up the path he was stomping on.<br/>Now the meeting had gone poorly. Very poorly indeed.<br/>He had his small victory to count, but it was only the victory of not having been kicked out and that each of them believed that he was, as many of his age, just tired of fighting, only in need of a rekindling of the thing they called ‘fighting spirit’. But this spirit had revealed itself to Madara, then Izuna and so many others of them, just to be made out of hate and spite. Izuna was convinced that half of the Elders lived just out of this spite, and the other part was too proud to die. Their Clan always had been a very proud one. And Izuna had thought that that was a good thing. But now he had to work against it, because if they wouldn’t let this War end, there would be no future for their Clan to live in anymore. And he started to resent the stubborn, proud and old fools. Just because they outlived a lifetime of war, they thought they had the right to let others suffer through one as well, sending them knowingly into danger and death.<br/>Izuna had almost lost it, when one of the Elders (out of the safety of the crowd of old old people - that coward) pointed out that Izuna had not yet attained the Mangekyou Sharingan and that he should work hard to gain it as well, since then the Uchihas would surely have the upper hand then.<br/>What the actual message had been was not hard to find out. After all, it wasn’t as if they tried to hide it. They wanted him to get the Mangekyou, which meant that someone important to him had to die. That was the way they always had done it. And Izuna was frightened for the ones close to him. Who knew what these Old Ones got into their head?<br/>The little Information Madara had told him about Butsuma Senjus death; it had shaken his already vanishing trust to the older generation into nothingness.<br/>After this meeting, a return of the former trust was practically impossible.<br/>Even his father had nodded at the Idea of the Elder.<br/>Maybe five years ago Izuna would have jumped at the opportunity to get more power and with it the validation from his father.<br/>Power meant everything to Tajima Uchiha.<br/>Power meant everything to the Uchiha Clan.<br/>Power had meant everything to Izuna Uchiha once. Now? The one thing that meant everything was his brother and to make the dream of Peace the reality.<br/>Who would have thought? Him, Izuna Uchiha, wanting peace with the Senjus.<br/>What a little glimpse of his archenemy other side had done to him.<br/>Just because he had seen Tobirama Senju comforting a young boy.<br/>Tobirama Senju the only fighter who, after Madara and Hashirama Senju, could actually face him. Fighting with the whitehaired Senju was always exciting, since he never fought conventional or predictable. Each time before a fight against the Senjus Izuna felt like a little child that was going to a new beautiful place, only because he knew there would be something new from Tobirama to see.<br/>After having seen the gentle side of Tobirama, he just wasn’t able to unsee it. It had thrown him off so strongly. Back then he had never even considered the fact that the Senjus had lives away from the battlefield, just like he and Madara had.<br/>And Izuna wanted to see more of that life. He had started to dream about it.<br/>First very easy things, normal things a person would do every day. Like drinking tea. Or reading a book. Folding fresh clothes.<br/>Every action Izuna did, he started to imagine Tobirama doing. After all, cleaning his room would be something he had to do as well. Sometimes, surely.<br/>It was just Tobirama doing these actions.<br/>But then it got weird. He was doing them with Izuna suddenly.<br/>All these simple actions were no longer done alone, but together.<br/>That had been absolutely weird. He had until then always seen them separated. But then they merged. He still hadn’t figured out why that had begun.</p><p>And then the whole … gathering intel on one Tobirama Senju had started.<br/>It had started completely by accident on one of his missions. He had been on his way back home and had felt the familiar chakra that belonged to the red eyed Senju. Like any good Shinobi he went to investigate. And found a picture that was now burned into his mind. To be fair he had used the Sharingan, but Izuna was certainly convinced that even without it he would still remember the unearthly beauty he had seen.<br/>It was a night of full moon, a total romantic cliche as Izuna would point out to himself later and still couldn’t start hating it, and the soft silver light hit the small lake just in the right angle to let the water appear as if it was liquid silver. The only thing interrupting the straight (ha) surface of the Lake was Tobirama, his calm swimming movements sending dark waves away from him.<br/>And then he dived, vanishing under the water and sending several big and small dark waves in circles out from where he had been.<br/>Minutes had passed, the surface smooth and unmoving.<br/>A part of Izuna wondered if he should check if the Idiot had drowned himself or got stuck somewhere. But he hadn’t. He had stayed in the tree and kept watching the lake.<br/>It turned out to be the right decision.<br/>Tobirama's body broke through the water and gasped for air.<br/>The water flew everywhere, the splashing sound of it falling down again destroying the silence of the night.<br/>After that Tobirama didn’t move. He just stood (probably stood or he may have treaded water, Izuna couldn’t tell) in the lake, the water calming down again. Until the whole surface was smooth and silvery, making it look as if Tobirama was a part of it, being stuck there.<br/>His upper body, hair and all, was wet and reflected the moonlight in sparkling bursts, since he was still breathing and therefore moved, even just a little bit.<br/>In that moment he looked like a water creature from the old tales, that would lure you in with their beauty, just so they could drown you. A Siren.<br/>And Izuna knew, if he would go there right now, he would die at the hands of Tobirama Senju. A fate he wouldn’t mind terribly. There were worse ways to pass from this earth.<br/>But he remained on his tree, mesmerized.</p><p>After that he had started to have - inappropriate dreams. It threw him off each time he faced Tobirama in reality, on the battlefield, after having dreamed about the other laying under him, gasping for breath because of a completely different cause. The confused glance Izuna had gotten each time from Tobirama, had not helped at all.</p><p>Later when he reviewed the Scene laying in bed (once again), he noticed the fact of the three red stripes on Tobirama's face. He had always thought that it was paint, like the one his grandmother had loved to use. But no paint would have stayed on after a dive for several minutes. They didn’t look like tattoos, he knew how these looked, thanks to having fought Inuzukas in close combat. And he also had seen the three marks up close on several occasions.<br/>A few days later he found out what they were, when one of the clan returned with a burned leg.<br/>Burn scars. Very precise burn scars. To precise not to have been part of torture.<br/>Tobirama must have been very young, after all, Izuna couldn’t remember him without them. They had been there on the day they first had crossed blades, at the river.<br/>With the thought that war left scars on all of them, on some more clear to see than on others, and on some far to soon in their life, Izuna came back to his present.<br/>Surprised, he blinked at the Koi Pond. He hadn’t even noticed that he had wandered around his home directly into the garden.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you guys so much for all the Kudos, and the lovely Comments. &lt;3<br/>I am really looking forward to your thoughts about this chapter. Since i had no plan what to write and that is how we ended with the monologue of Izuna about Tobirama.<br/>Now I have to solve the problem of how I can make the Peace Treaty happen... oh well. I am sure some solution will present itself to me.<br/>I isn't impossible. I jut have to find a fitting and adequate solution. :D<br/>See you in the next chapter. (so that one may take a while. Exams are coming up and the already explained problem of how to solve the Peace Treaty Mess... I am an idiot for letting the last one happen. Oh well. Happens. :D)</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Laying in a bed together. No space between them. ‘Cause they gay.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Oh my god! Already another chapter?! what is happening?!<br/>So I am working on the ideas on how to get the Peace Treaty. Apparently I just needed somone else to give me some starter Ideas. And voila. My brain started to work. One thing it said "How can we make it worse?"<br/>Thank you, Tekilio! Your ideas really helped me.<br/>Enjoy this chapter, which just wrote itself. Somehow.<br/>We are catching up with the two girls/woman. Since we kind of have no idea what they were up to. Now you see what happens when you leave two characters unsupervised. Especially if one of them is a disaster gay and named Touka.<br/>You end up with this.</p>
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    <p>Touka felt as if she was floating in heaven. <br/>She always felt like that when she kissed Mito.<br/>Her lips felt smooth against hers, and her mouth tasted like the green tea, she had drunk around ten minutes ago.<br/>Their tongues slid against each other, slowly and gentle.<br/>Mito pulled away and gave a Touka a quick peck on her cheek.<br/>“You were right. This is very nice.”, Mito smirked up at her.<br/>“I love being right.”, mumbled Touka and leaned down to claim yet another kiss.<br/>After being satisfied she laid her head down on Mitos chest, having her arms slung around her.  The two just laid on Touka's bed. After a few minutes Mito started to pet Touka's hair.<br/>Touka sighed relaxed. Nothing would ever be as wonderful as this. Just being together with Mito. And hearing her steady heartbeat thump in her ear.<br/>A low hummed melody filled Touka's head and was softly filling the room.<br/>Mito was humming her lullaby. She had done so before, when she had felt happy and relaxed. She had told Touka that it reminded her of her Grandmother. The only woman in her clan, that had teached Mito to life savely in a world that was so set on making her life dangerous. Everyone else had been too busy with their own problems.<br/>Touka closed her eyes and sighed. Completely relaxed.<br/>She felt Mitos hand tangling in her hair, scratching her now and then.<br/>But most importantly she could feel the lullaby and the Heartbeat in perfect unisono.<br/>This was her happiness and no one would ever take it away from her.<br/>“I am glad you like it.”, Mito gave her a small kiss on her head.<br/>“Did I say that outloud?” asked Touka, confused and lifted her head to look at Mitos amused face.<br/>“Yes, you did.”<br/>“Oh.”, her head fell back down.<br/>For a while a comfortable silence filled the room.<br/>“Will you marry me?” Touka shot up and backed away as soon as the words had left her own mouth. Stupid! Stupid! Why did she ask that? Way too soon! Tobirama had been right, she should Think before she starts talking!<br/>“Touka?” Mito sat slowly up, now that she was able to do so. Since her girlfriend was far on the other side of the bed, rambling.<br/>“We don’t have to, you know?” Touka flailed her arms. Maybe she could avoid the worse? “I just thought that maybe- given that we got along so well-” they got along perfect! “but we don't have to! I don't want you to feel obligated or like you need to say yes! You can say no. And we will remain just as we are now.”, her hands were grabbing at each other on the lack of anything else. “Or we break up? Even so I would hate that! I would really hate that.”, Why, oh why was she still talking?! This wasn’t helping. It made everything just worse. “Or we could just marry later! Also a very good option.”, she nodded. Yes, good. That was good. Now just stop and everything will go back to being wonderful. “ Just ignore it. I didn’t mean to-”<br/>A thin finger finally stopped her rambling. Or at least a little bit. Around the finger she still mumbled something about “forget it. didn’t think. please. sorry. forgive me?” or something along these lines. She was pretty sure Mito didn’t understand a single word. Maybe the Forgive me part. That would definitely help her case.<br/>Kami, why couldn’t she just shut up?!<br/>“Touka”, Mitos calm voice filled the room. “Look at me”<br/>The commanding voice was something Touka had to follow. And so she finally looked at Mitos face.<br/>Just like her voice it was calm and collected. A perfect picture of how different she was from Touka.<br/>Touka was chaotic and wild.<br/>Mito was elegant and calm. Always in Control. Only thing she apparently couldn’t control was her blush. But that was something Touka would never complain about. It made her look even more lovely. Even so Mito thought that it clashed horribly with her hair and made her look ugly. Touka would always see the beauty of it.<br/>“You really surprise me every day, don’t you?” Mitos soft smile relaxed Touka a little bit.<br/>That was a good sign. It meant she wouldn’t get kicked out. She only would get a small hit over the head and a stern talking about how she should think, before opening her mouth. And that was something she knew how to handle. After all, that happened to her more often than you would think, she got used to these talks.<br/>“I try my best not to?” Touka shrugged and gave an apologetic and awkward smile.<br/>Mito started to laugh “That is something good, Silly.”<br/>“Oh.” Touka blinked “Oh! Really?” A big grin spread over her face, almost splitting it.<br/>Mito wasn’t mad at her. Yeay! Best news ever!<br/>“Yes. Really. Silly woman, you.” The finger tipped her on her nose and the soft smile returned. “Of course, I will marry you.”<br/>Something stopped working in Touka. Her heart? Her brain?<br/>Both?<br/>Yeah. Both.</p><p>“Touka?”</p><p>“Touka?” Mito waved her hand in front of Touka's face.<br/>“Whu?” came a soft and confused sound somewhere out of the deeps from Touka's body.<br/>“Great. I broke my future wife.”, Mito pouted and then snipped against Touka's forehead. “You can break apart after we get married. Not before!”<br/>That snapped Touka out of her shok. “What?” she looked around, had she dreamed that?<br/>“No breaking before our wedding. Or at the wedding. Got that?”<br/>“Yes?” So not a dream then.<br/>“Good.”<br/>“You really want-”<br/>“Yes”<br/>“huh.” Touka blinked slowly. “didn’t see that one coming.”<br/>Mito snorted and pulled Touka over the bed, to the place where they had been before.<br/>Laying on the bed, together, stroking Touka's hair.<br/>“I have a question.”, whispered Touka after a short pause. Not risking another stupid talking-without-thinking scene.<br/>“Yes?”<br/>“How do we get married? Because I just noticed that that isn’t possible.”<br/>“But it is.”<br/>Touka frowned. “I am pretty sure I would have heard about that kind of news.” She kept her ears open for these things especially. And there was no way she would have forgotten such wonderful news.<br/>Mito laughed softly again.<br/>“What is needed for a binding wedding?”<br/>“Well, a man for starters?”<br/>“There is no written rule about that. Of course, unwritten rules from society. But the central things are, when it comes down to it, these. Two Persons, who want to marry. We have that. One Person with the legal allowance to wed two people and is willing to do so. We have that.”<br/>“We do?”<br/>“Yes. Hashirama can wed two people. And I am sure he will gladly help us. And the last thing that is needed is at least one witness.”<br/>“Tobirama.”, Touka nodded. Tobirama would come. And if he didn’t want to - which was unlikely - He still owed them for the Cleaning and Organising Job.<br/>“Yes. So there is nothing stopping us from getting married. Of course making that official knowledge of the clan and the world, may not be such a good idea. But we can work around that. As an example; My uncle is living happily with his husband in a small house. And our whole clan is refusing to see them as more than just two very good friends.”<br/>“Seriously?”<br/>“Yes. They were even at the wedding. But somehow they conveniently forgot all about it.”<br/>“That is so funny.”, Touka laughed and hugged Mito harder. “But it must be frustrating for the two. You are amazing, you know that?”<br/>“Of course.”<br/>“Psh. Humble much?”<br/>“Truth is truth. No point denying it.”, Mito shrugged carelessly.<br/>“Can I get to know your uncles?”<br/>“Of course.”<br/>Touka smiled and cuddled her head into Mitos neck.<br/>Best day ever.<br/>“Now. Up you go. We have a Wedding to plan.”, and with that Touka was thrown off the bed.</p><p>-----<br/>“Please, tell me again.”<br/>“I already told you three times, Tobirama.”, Mito stood in perfect calm before Tobirama, who was looking at her as if she lost her mind. Because that seemed to be the case.<br/>“I just want to be sure that you know what you are saying.”<br/>“Touka and I are getting married. Would you please attend as our one witness?” Mito repeated her question for a fourth time.<br/>“You do know that the Elders-”<br/>“Won't hear a word about it. At least not before it is too late to stop us.”<br/>“And you-”<br/>“Yes, we have everything we need. Hashirama can wed us. You will be the witness. More is not needed.”, she waved him off.<br/>“I know that. I wanted to ask if you know what you are getting into. Touka is - Touka.”<br/>“Yes.”, Mito smiled softly and wide open at him. “Why would I want to marry a Touka that isn’t Touka? That just doesn’t make much sense. Don’t you agree?”<br/>“Mh. If anyone can handle her it is you. That much is clear.”<br/>“Thank you.”<br/>“Who is telling Hashirama?” Please not him.<br/>“Touka is right now with him in the woods.”<br/>“Wise decision.”, he nodded. That would make sure that no one but the trees, birds, Touka and the unfortunate civilian would hear the scream of Hashirama.<br/>Both of them looked at the woods. Shortly after a flock of birds flew away, spooked by something, and the trees were shaken by a non-existing wind.<br/>“Hopefully he will calm down soon.”, said Mito.<br/>“You clearly don’t know my brother.”, Tobirama shrugged and sat down at the porch. “This will take some while.” <br/>“I was afraid that you would say that.”, sighed Mito and walked back into the main house. “I will make some preparations. Tell me, when they return?”<br/>“Sure thing.”</p><p>-----<br/>“Would you calm down, Anjia?!”<br/>“A Wedding, Tobi! A Wedding!” Hashirama jumped around Tobirama.<br/>“Yes, I know! Now shut up!”<br/>Hashirama sank down onto the tatami. But he was still clearly excited, his hibbling body was giving it away. As well as the many flowers that crept in the room through the windows.<br/>“Please, Anjia.”, whined Tobirama. “Try to control yourself. For once in your life.”<br/>The Door slid open and Touka came in. She wore a simple green kimono.<br/>The two brothers looked at her Cousin surprised.<br/>“What?” she snipped at them.<br/>“Didn’t know you still had one of these.”, shrugged Tobirama and gestured to her to place herself in front of Hashirama.<br/>“I had to look through my whole wardrobe. And it is the only one I still have. I double checked.”<br/>“You look lovely in it, Touka.”, said Hashirama cheerfully.<br/>“I don’t know.”, Touka looked down at herself with a scowl, moving her arms in the wide sleeves. “Kimonos are not really my style. I can’t really move in it.”<br/>“You don’t have to move in the next half hour.”, said Tobirama reassuringly. “And after you can change immediately.”<br/>The door slid open one more time and Mito entered.<br/>She was in a full wedding attire. A White Kimono and with a white headpiece, hiding her probably perfectly set hair.<br/>“Wow.”, Touka's mouth fell open.<br/>“Am I the only one who feels underdressed?” whispered Hashirama.<br/>“How did she manage to get in this in such a short amount of time?” Tobirama looked interested at the perfectly tied Kimono. That must have been hard.<br/>“Tobi!” Hashirama swatted at him.<br/>“What? That is a genuine and flattering question. To look this good in such a short time?” He was only swatted over the head again.<br/>Mito smiled and sat down next to Touka, in front of Hashirama.<br/>“You are gawking”, she whispered at Touka, who then finally clipped her mouth shut.<br/>With these words the wedding of Mito Uzumaki and Touka Senju started.</p><p> </p><p>And so History had changed once more. And now it wasn’t history anymore.<br/>It had finally become the present once again.<br/>Fate cursed and Possibility clapped cheerfully into their hands.<br/>Once more: Options opened themself up and the Future was unwritten.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you one more for the Kudos. You guys are amazing! :D<br/>And of course thank you for the Comments. They really keep me going. &lt;3 :D<br/>If you also have an idea on how the peace treaty may come to pass, feel free to pitch the ideas in the Comments like Tekilio did. :D <br/>I hope you really liked this chapter. Because this was super exciting to write.<br/>Especially since it was the first kiss scene i wrote. :D<br/>What do you think? Did I do good?<br/>Also writing this disaster gay Touka is so funny. Especially in combination with Mito.<br/>Does it show that I kind of want the pair to be the one Elegant Lady and her chaotic Knightlady? XD</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Old friends - New Friends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Elders are making their move. And that worries Izuna and Touka.<br/>Tobirama is just trying to figure out where the Bandits vanished to. But he gets interupted and kept away with new experiences...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Izuna frowned. Something was up with the Elders. They weren’t telling him something.<br/>And that worried him. Greatly.<br/>Because these old bags of people were definitely scheming.<br/>Were they planning on how to get rid of Madara?<br/>No. Not even they would be That daft.<br/>But there was something they were planning, that was obvious.<br/>And so he concentrated on concealing his chakra. A move he was training in the last years more than he had thought. His opponent of the Senjus - and his long time crush - was the best tracker in the world after all. He needed to keep up.<br/>He jumped into the trees. He had to see what they were doing.<br/>-------<br/>Touka frowned at the trees.<br/>Why would some of the Elder walk outside their home? They hardly even left their houses. And now suddenly they were taking a small walk through the forest?<br/>Yeah. And she was the Queen of Hesheba.<br/>Carefully she followed them into the woods. Better to keep an eye on them.<br/>-------<br/>Tobirama kneeled down in front of the little hut.<br/>There were several things that didn’t make sense with this mission.<br/>The hut where the bandits were supposed to hide in was empty. Hadn’t they at least robbed over twenty carriages? All guarded by other Shinobi from other clans. So where was the money? The food? Anything at all?<br/>But there was nothing.<br/>And of all the things: Where were the Bandits?<br/>No signs of a hasty retreat or that anyone was around here in the last three weeks.<br/>This was wrong.<br/>He looked around. Trying to spot anything new. Even so he doubted he would. He had been here for over half an hour, and hadn’t spotted anything useful.<br/>His legs complained when he stood up again. Blood rushing through them.<br/>Tobirama sighed, and massaged his right shoulder.<br/>He had a bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling.<br/>It didn’t help that he was on a constant edge, given that a Main road was close by and therefore several chakra signatures were moving around. Making it hard to distinguish if any of them might be a threat or just a passing Shinobi on their way home.<br/>“Tobirama? Is that you?”<br/>The Kunai was in his hand and on the throat of the speaker before he could stop himself.<br/>Blank grey eyes stared back at him. Black hair fell around a face now far more mature than it had been years ago.<br/>“Geljin?” Tobirama took several steps back in surprise.<br/>The teenager boy from the past had grown up. Somehow Tobirama had not expected that, but of course Geljin had aged as well. That was just natural.<br/>“Oh wow. You really grew up from being cute to being right out hot!” Geljin took a step forward. “What do you say, we catch up a little bit? There is an Inn close to here. With a hot spring.”<br/>The wink was probably what made Tobirama agree to all of what happened after it.<br/>He was off balance and not sure what to do. How to react at all. His feelings were in a riot and very confused. Tobirama was running on autopilot.<br/>And so he followed Geljin. It was the easiest thing to do for now. And he would get time to think, and to figure himself out. Hopefully.</p><p>-------</p><p>The steam of the hot water rose up around them.<br/>A moan escaped Tobirama's lips.<br/>Geljin hadn’t really given him time to calm down and think about anything.<br/>And so he had found himself in the arms of the Hyuga.<br/>Hot water splashing against their intertwined bodies, as Geljin pulled him deeper into the water.<br/>“Wait.”, gasped Tobirama and pushed against Geljins shoulders.<br/>“What?” The other one looked disgruntled at him for stopping their activity.<br/>“What is it that you want?”<br/>“I thought that was clear.”, Geljin laughed “But I guess that I could-”<br/>“No. Why were you at the hut? What were you doing there?” that had bugged Tobirama. Why would Geljin show up there, when the Senju had taken the mission from the merchants?<br/>“I tried to find out more about the bandits. Some Hyuugas were injured or even killed by them. Wasn’t that what you were doing there as well?” His hands moved over Tobirama's back while he talked. Pressing into the muscles there.<br/>Tobirama frowned.<br/>“I couldn’t find anything that suggested that someone was living there.”, that really bothered him. He should go back. He shouldn't have left in the first place.<br/>Geljin sighed. “You really didn’t change at all, did you?”<br/>“What?”<br/>“Let's forget that for now and just have fun together.”, he grinned and pulled Tobirama closer and flushed against him. “Wouldn’t that be better?”<br/>Tobirama felt his blood rushing through his body. His cheeks were heating up, and not because of the warm water.<br/>He could feel the strong toned body from Geljin.<br/>All of it.<br/>Including the hard member of the other one that pressed against his hip.<br/>Thinking was suddenly not possible once again.<br/>Geljin's lip found Tobirama’s lip quickly and his mouth was plundered fast and without any hesitation.<br/>“Kami, wanted to do that for years.”, groaned Geljin.<br/>Years.<br/>The past.<br/>Butsuma.<br/>Fear.<br/>Helplessness.<br/>Pain.<br/>Tobirama's body froze up. Remembering the last time he had kissed this person, and what had followed it. His hands pressed instantly against Geljins torso, pushing him away.<br/>Geljin, who had not expected this and certainly not that much power, stumbled back, falling with a loud splash into the water.<br/>He came up, gasping and spitting water.<br/>“What the hell, Tobirama?!”<br/>“I-”, Tobirama took a step back, bumping into the wall of the hot spring. His own arms hugging himself, trying to give at least the illusion of safety.<br/>Blinking furiously to get the pictures out of his head. That wasn’t real. Not anymore. Butsuma wasn’t here. Nothing could happen to him anymore. He was thousands of miles away from that spot, and years had passed. He should be over this!<br/>“What? If you didn’t want to do this, you should have said so. Even so you clearly were into it a few moments ago.”, scoffed Geljin.<br/>“I-  I-”, Tobirama breathed in. “Sorry.”, he looked down at the water. Circles were going out from him into the water.<br/>“Is this about last time?” sighed Geljin. “Come on. Noone will come in. The door is locked. Also, that was years ago. So what is the big deal?”<br/>Tobirama breathed in again. The feeling of having lost himself slowly vanished.<br/>His arms feel back into the warm water.<br/>Geljin stepped closer again.<br/>“Tobi-kun.”, he purred and touched him on the shoulders. Pulling Tobirama to step away from the wall. “You can relax here.”<br/>Tobirama closed his eyes, trying to let himself fall and to relax. He could do this. Right?</p><p>Hands were squeezing his buttcheeks, pressing him once more flush against Geljin and the words “Yes. Like that, pretty boy. You will look so good after I am through with you.”, were whispered into his ear.<br/>His eyes opened wide.<br/>“Geljin”, gasped Tobirama and his arms searched for a safe spot to hold onto, finding Geljins shoulders. Not sure what to do and how to react, he tried to find safety there. But the knot in his stomach was still there, like a big chunk of cold steel.<br/>“Mhmh”, Geljins fingers slid between the two cheeks “I think we have to clean you a little bit first. I bet you could, after a little bit of thinking and planning, create a jutsu or seal that would skip this part. You are a clever boy after all, aren’t you. But for now, I will have to do that.”<br/>“What?” mumbled Tobirama, still trying to find out what he should concentrate on more. The mouth that was wandering over his shoulder and neck, while it talked, or the hands that were wandering and squeezing, or the whole muscled body and the hips that were thrusting against him.<br/>The choice was made for him, as one finger was pressed inside him.<br/>He gasped loudly, his fingers scratching at Geljin’s back.<br/>What. Was that? What was he doing? And why?<br/>“Shhh”, he was hushed and lips were sealing his shut quickly.<br/>Tobirama hummed surprised into the kiss.<br/>He had never really thought about the logistics of how Sex with another man would function. After all, it hadn’t been possible for him. Why think about something that would never come to pass? For Tobirama that was a pointless thing to do. And he always had something more important to concern himself with.<br/>Now he wished he would know more already. He felt lost and unsure about what to do. The chunk of steel in his stomach grew and seemed to knot into itself again.<br/>But Geljin seemed to be happy with him just holding onto him for now.<br/>Hopefully that would remain so.<br/>--------<br/>Izuna crouched down and activated his Sharingan. Just so he could read the lips better of the Elders.<br/>They had stopped at a clearing and seemed to wait for something, or someone. But none of them were missing. So what - or who was it?<br/>A coming closer mass of other Chakra Signatures told Izuna that they were waiting for another group of Shinobi.<br/>A rustling of the bushes at the edge of the clearing announced their arrival.<br/>He almost fell out of his hiding spot when he saw who the group was made out of.<br/>Senjus.<br/>The Elders of the Senjus, to be exact.<br/>“Do you mind if I join your spying on old stupid haters?” whispered a voice behind.<br/>Izuna turned sharply around and got face to face with a brown haired Female. She looked familiar and must be closely related to Hashirama Senju.<br/>“What?” he hissed back.<br/>“Can I join you in spying on these? You did pick the best spot for it.” She pointed at the two groups down in the clearing.<br/>Izuna shrugged and turned back.<br/>Soon after that the Woman was kneeling next to him, watching as well.<br/>The voices of the old men were easily heard by the two. Since they kept a big space between them, as if the other group was carrying a disease. And of course the Elders had not so good hearing, so louder talking was already part of it.<br/>Izuna deactivated his Sharingan. No need to throw his Chakra out of the Window for nothing then.<br/>“We are happy that you got our message.”, started one of the Senjus.<br/>“Sure.”, scoffed the woman next to him.<br/>“Shut up.”, growled Izuna.<br/>“Well? What is this plan you have, to keep this ridiculous peace idea away?” One of his elders shouted back.<br/>Izuna sighed.<br/>Seemed that a common enemy had brought the Elders to work together in a semi peaceful way.<br/>“Kind of Ironic isn’t it?” asked the Senju Woman.<br/>Izuna nodded. He couldn’t have put it better.<br/>“We have the idea how to get Hashirama-san to let the foolish plan of this peace and that village go. But we will need your help to actually pull it through.”, a gray headed Senju almost spit the word peace.<br/>“Do tell then.”, sneered Elder Itaka.<br/>“Tobirama Senjus will be killed this weekend. We arranged matters for this. But the Uchihas will have to claim this kill. If Hashirama-san then hears of this, he will surely never again ask your Clanhead for peace.”<br/>Izuna almost wouldn’t have believed his ears. If not for one he was a shinobi so if he couldn’t trust his ears, who could he trust? And two the gasp and curse of the woman next to him, which promised a colourful and painful future to her Elders. He started to like her.<br/>“What about his revenge? The Uchiha clan will not sacrifice anyone for a thing we have not committed!”<br/>Izuna rolled his eyes. He bet if it would get anyone else in their clan the Mangekyo-Sharingan they would agree to it before you could say ‘Curses on all of you’<br/>“Given that Hashirama-san seems to have a weak spot for your whole Clan - for whatever deluded belief - and thanks to his kind hearted nature he will not ask for it.”, scoffed one of the not-yet-grey haired Senjus.<br/>“I already know whose head I am going to call for.”, growled the woman next to him.<br/>“What about the others? Why should you not ask for retribution? This could be a trap after all.”<br/>Izuna nodded thoughtfully. Tobirama was one of the best fighters of the Senju clan, he had to be well liked and respected. Hashirama wouldn’t be the only one with vengeful feelings.<br/>“We assure you that we do not wish for Tobirama to stay alive for much longer. He will hardly be missed by anyone important. If you claim the kill or not, this horrendous beast has to die. We just figured we could also at the same time, get rid of the other problem.”<br/>“Isn’t he one of your best fighters?”<br/>“That is no matter. His unnatural being can not be tolerated.”<br/>The Uchiha Elders nodded “We will think about it.”<br/>And with that the two groups went the way they had come.<br/>Izuna couldn’t believe what he had just heard.<br/>Tobirama would be murdered. And was hated by his clan.<br/>Nothing of this made any sense. Not for him.<br/>He turned to the Woman.<br/>She was frowning and looking at the sky thoughtfully.<br/>“What were they talking about?” murmured Izuna. “Isn’t Tobirama well liked and respected in your clan?”<br/>“Not really. No.”, the woman turned her face to him. “You see, Tobirama isn’t what you would call a people-person. He is a little bit like a grumpy old man. But the younger ones like him enough since he shows them all the neat little tricks and teaches them. The Elders hate him, because-” she stopped for a few seconds. “Because they believe the words of a dead madman, and won't let go of traditions and beliefs that are older than trees.”<br/>“But he is a great fighter.”, he argued.<br/>“In their eyes that makes it even worse, I think.”<br/>Silence filled the space on the branch. Or as much silence as you could get in a wood full of life.<br/>“This weekend then. Where will he be?”<br/>The woman frowned at him “Want to speed it up or what?”<br/>“No. I want to stop it. We can’t afford to lose him. I have not worked the last few years to infiltrate the Council just to fail at the Senjus.”<br/>The Woman barked laughingly “I like you. I am Touka. Izuna, correct?”<br/>“Yes.”<br/>They shook hands.<br/>“Tobirama took a mission to follow the bandits that were troubling the merchants on the main street. Where exactly he will be, I can’t tell you.”<br/>“He went alone?”<br/>“The Elders forbid years ago that others join him on missions. Hashirama and I could sometimes work around that rule. But it is tricky and they grew quickly suspicious after the first three times.”<br/>Izuna nodded.<br/>Seemed he really had no idea of who his crush was and even less about his clan's arch nemesis.<br/>But first, he had to save one Tobirama Senju.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for all the Kudos! &lt;3 <br/>And of course for the comments. I love your opinions and encouragements. They are always welcome and make my day.<br/>So we are getting closer to the Peace Treaty and Founding of Konoha. In a way. But it is still far away...  :D<br/>On the other hand: Seems like we are finally going on confontration with the Elders.<br/>I look forward what you think of all this.<br/>Especially since the scene between Geljin and Tobirama was tricky to write.</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. And to your right; in their natural habitat: A -- Jacket?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alright.<br/>I know that was kind of mean with Geljin. But hey - He is the first love of Tobirama. Kind of an important person.<br/>And Izuna is now of course trying to save Tobirama...<br/>But where is the danger? Is it the assassin - or is it the soft - so soft Jacket of Tobirama? :D<br/>Thank you for all the Kudos &lt;3<br/>And I love to read all your comments. XD</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Izuna looked closer at the hut. Tobirama had been here, that was for sure. There were footprints that belonged to a person looking for clues. And another pair of footprints.<br/>
But there was no sign of a fight.<br/>
Whoever the other person was, he had managed to lead Tobirama Senju peacefully away.<br/>
But there were only footprints going to the hut. Not away from it.<br/>
In Izunas book that meant: This someone didn’t want to be followed.<br/>
And with the knowledge of the organiced assassination, it meant that Tobirama was already in danger, and wasn’t aware of that vital fact. If he even was still alive.<br/>
He had to hurry.</p><p>-------</p><p>Tobirama sighed and turned to the side.<br/>
He wasn’t sure how he felt. In General. And especially about yesterday.<br/>
It had been … nice? And definitely filled with pleasure.<br/>
But somehow a part of him felt wrong. As if something had happened back there, something off as if it was water on an ink painting. You could still see what the painting had been, but the water showed that it wasn’t right anymore.<br/>
He stood up.<br/>
He needed to leave. To get away.<br/>
To get room and space, and time. For himself. Alone. So he could think. Because he couldn’t do that here.<br/>
That was the important part, Alone. He needed time and nothing around him.<br/>
He stood up and grabbed for his trousers, putting them on. Wincing as muscles, he didn’t even know he had started to complain because of yesterday's new activities.<br/>
It was time to leave.<br/>
He grabbed his top and started to look around.<br/>
Where was his jacket?<br/>
It wasn’t with his other clothes and wasn’t lying over the chair. And Tobirama knew that the jacket should be here. He would never had lost it or thrown it somewhere. It meant too much for something like that.<br/>
Maybe Geljin had put it somewhere else. He frowned. If that was the case, the Hyuuga would learn quickly not to touch his jacket ever again.<br/>
Thinking of which, where was he?<br/>
Not in the bed or anywhere in the room.<br/>
He took a step forward, wanting to look through the window, in case he was just outside. With that move he got to the other side of the bed and a backpack got his attention.<br/>
It was thrown next to the bed like an afterthought. Everything in Tobirama cringed at that. He hated chaos. Was it really that hard to keep things in order?<br/>
He sighed and kneeled down, putting the small items back.<br/>
A pen, a kunai (Seriously?! Had that Man never heard of safety? How had Geljin still all of his fingers?), a small thick book, a scroll-<br/>
He stopped and looked at the scroll in his hand.<br/>
That was weird. A green thread was tied around it, marking the clan it had come from.<br/>
His clan, the Senjus.<br/>
He heard the door slide open, and quickly pushed the scroll under the bed. Good thing Geljin had no order.</p><p>“Tobirama?”</p><p>Tobirama stood up, the book in one hand, the backpack in the other.</p><p>“I see that your sense of order hasn’t changed.”, he said and handed Geljin both things. “Have you seen my jacket?”</p><p>His mind was racing. Geljin showed up just at the time where he was looking alone for dangerous bandits. His reasoning was that he was doing it for his family. But the Senju Clan had been given the mission and, sure, it happened that a mix up with another clan happened or that two were hired without being informed about it, but that was rare. And wouldn’t explain why Geljin had a scroll from the Senju Clan.</p><p>“No, I haven’t. Maybe it is still outside by the hot spring. Are you leaving already?” Geljin quickly put the book into his pack.</p><p>“Yes. If you recall I am on a mission.”, Tobirama frowned once more.</p><p>Why hide the book? And Geljin looked suddenly a lot different than yesterday.<br/>
No smile. No jokes. No weird comments. Or touches.<br/>
Tobirama felt his hair on his neck stand up.<br/>
The whole room was filled with a feel of tension, just one move and everything would unfurl at once.<br/>
Geljin looked into his bag and his frown grew thunderous.</p><p>“Ah. So you know. Oh well, better get it behind us.”, the bag hit the ground with a loud thud.</p><p>The hand met Tobirama's torso and he felt how the air got pushed out of him with pure force. He hit the door to the hotsprings with a loud clattering. A small part of his brain was surprised at how sturdy the door had to be, so it had stopped his body from falling right through it.<br/>
But it also meant that he had no chance of escaping.<br/>
And Geljin was already there in front of him. His hands finding his neck and choking him.</p><p>Air! He needed air.<br/>
--------<br/>
Izuna stopped his run quickly and skidded a few centimeters over the earth.<br/>
A flash of blue had drawn his attention.<br/>
A very familiar blue with white fur.</p><p>Tobiramas Jacket!<br/>
He had never seen the other without it and Izuna was convinced that hardly anyone did see him without it.<br/>
The blue spot was too small as that a body could be in it or under it. He still runned to it, lifting it up and looked surprised at it. He couldn’t help it. It was so soft. He had never thought of the jacket as so soft. Nothing he had ever touched had been so soft.<br/>
The fur was not only in the hood, but also inside.<br/>
This was a jacket clearly made to withstand cold temperatures and harsh wind.<br/>
Jackets like that were rare and always cost a fortune. But if you had one you hardly would need a new one very soon. These jackets were made to last long.<br/>
Izuna always wondered from which animal this fur was. It was so white. And now it turned out to be soft as hell as well.<br/>
Dang.<br/>
But where was Tobirama? He couldn’t be too far from here.</p><p>Izuna doubted that he would leave his jacket lying around just like that, where anyone could find it. Quickly he put it on. No sense in carrying it over his arms, that would only make fighting harder. And he didn’t trust it to stay bound around his hip. That thing was so soft it probably wouldn’t stay there for five minutes. His nose quickly showed him that putting it one was a - an interesting idea.<br/>
The scent filled his sense of smell and warmth quickly filled his torso. The Jacket was doing it’s job of keeping the body warm. But Tobirama's smell surrounded Izuna now.<br/>
Green Tee, Paper and Ink, Sweat (they were Shinobi) and … was that some sort of animal? Dog? It smelled more wild and like the woods.<br/>
Seemed he found another mystery from his cru- From Tobirama Senju, the enigma.<br/>
Izuna looked around.</p><p>Clue. Clue. A Clue on the whereabouts of the white haired Senju.</p><p>A branch, broken.</p><p>Footprint. Too wide for it to be Tobirama.</p><p>So someone had planted the jacket here.<br/>
Why?</p><p>On another point it meant that the assassin had the time and the nerve to plant false clues.<br/>
Izuna's brain started to run on over time.<br/>
Alright. So that either meant that Tobirama was already dead. Or imprisoned.</p><p>The later one would be stupid in his oppinion. First rule is always to kill the target, if that is your task. Don’t play around. Don’t let them get back up. It would cost your life. And Tobirama had the tendency to get back up fast.</p><p>So he was already dead… But that couldn’t be right either. Izuna fought Tobirama for years, and fighting someone could tell you a lot about the character and the mind they have.<br/>
Tobirama didn’t trust anyone and was suspicious of everything. Alert all the time - well, most of the time. And since he was on a mission, Izuna was sure that sneaking up on the Senju would have been impossible.<br/>
So a surprise attack was out of the question.<br/>
But a direct fight was not a possibility for anyone but him and Madara. Well, a successful fight with killing the Senju. And he had not managed to kill him yet. To be fair, he had stopped trying very hard after he started to grow these soft feelings.</p><p>Izuna groaned.<br/>
His family was rich and intelligent (in a crocked way).</p><p>They had paid someone Tobirama would not be suspicious of.<br/>
But that meant that this person would have to play for sometime the friendly facade.<br/>
And that would get them the time to plant evidence.<br/>
Even so he was still unsure on how they got Tobirama to let his Jacket go-</p><p>Oh.</p><p>Oh!</p><p>There was a Hotspring and Inn close by. Izuna had stayed there for some missions where he had to travel further away. It was beautiful and very nice there. The Keeper and his family had nothing against housing Shinobi. The house rules did say that inside the inn the fighting between the clans was not allowed. If you broke that rule you could not return. They had a good memory of that… And Izuna valued that Inn as a good place to go to. It was safe. In a way.<br/>
A few years back he had stayed there for three days. And in that time four Senjus had lodgings there as well. They had glared at each other, but other than throwing each other the evil glare and some grimaces nothing had happened.<br/>
He doubted that the assassin would care much about the rule.</p><p>And hopefully his theory was right.</p><p>The leaves rustled in the gush of air that Izuna's jump left behind.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hu.<br/>Would you look at that.<br/>Geljin - a traitor?<br/>And Izuna putting some of it already together from afar...<br/>Now. Will he manage to get there in time? Tobiramas air supply is running out. And there is one more problem, he may not yet have noticed.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Dun-Dun-Duuuuuuuuuuuuuu</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A little earlier upload than usually. But i doubt anyone will complain. It is shorter than normally. But eh. I just had to end it there. Felt right. You will see ;)</p><p>Tobirama fights for his live and to not think about what this means.<br/>Izuna finds another item of the white-haired Senjiu and finally reaches the Inn. A perfect picture of peace, quite and relaxation. Until he slids a simple door open and his arms are full of---<br/>Water turns pink.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tobirama gasped for air and fell to the floor for the third time in the last few minutes.<br/>His right foot shot out and caught Geljin in his stomach, saving Tobirama's life.</p><p>Geljin was a good fighter and he was only still alive by pure luck. He didn’t know how long he would be able to keep this up, but he was certainly not going to die without a fight.<br/>Now, what were his options?<br/>His Tenketsu point in his chest was closed as well as several others (his complete left arm, the right hand, his left thigh as well), so any form of Jutsu was far too dangerous to attempt. He would damage himself more than Geljin, if the attack would even work.<br/>His seals would need to be activated with Chakra, which he couldn’t risk doing as long as his Chakra Pathway were blocked, so they were out of question too.<br/>He had to rely completely on his Taj-Jutsu. Not that he was bad in that, but against a Hyuuga and with no weapon-<br/>Right. Weapon!</p><p>He rolled to the side, only missing by one heartbeat Geljins dangerous fist.<br/>His sword should be right next to the bed, he had placed it there before- no. Not going there, it would not be good to be distracted by these thoughts and memories. His life depended on him being in the present. There would be time later, probably in the dark of the sleepless nights. Or no time for anything ever again.<br/>Still the questions floated up in his head. Questions who wanted - needed answers.</p><p>He finally reached the left side of the bed.<br/>No sword.<br/>It had vanished just like his jacket.</p><p>Shit.</p><p>---------</p><p>Izuna cursed and ripped the sword out of the tree.<br/>Now this was just getting ridiculous.<br/>Whoever this assassin was he hated the smug bastard already.</p><p>Tobirama's sword had been stuck far up this tree in one of the branches and it had cost him far too much time to reach it. But leaving it behind had been just impossible. It belonged to Tobirama just like his jacket did. And this did prove to Izuna that Tobirama may be in bigger trouble than he had originally thought. Without a weapon… There was a reason why every Shinobi always had a weapon with them. An attack could happen at any second.<br/>The trees blurred past him, Tobirama's short sword clutched in his hand.</p><p>Finally the Inn was in front of him.<br/>Nothing seemed out of place from the outside.<br/>It layed peacefully between the trees and the steam of the hotsprings drifted up to the sky. Everything told him that this place was undisturbed and had been so for several years.<br/>Had his hunch been wrong?<br/>Maybe they hadn’t gone here, but made their own camp. But that wouldn’t give the assassin the time or the possibility to get Tobirama to drop his guard. Nor the time to hide Jacket and sword.<br/>They had to be here! They just had to!</p><p>His Sharingan!<br/>He could slap himself for not looking with it in the first place.<br/>Of course it wasn’t as good as the Byakugan of the Hyuugas, but it could still help with locating Sources of Chakra.</p><p>There. First Floor, third room, had a hotspring all to itself (that room was expensive - Izuna had only gotten it once when he had felt super fancy and like impressing the lucky man of the night).<br/>Someone was using quite a lot of Chakra in there.<br/>Suspicious.<br/>But he couldn't just barge in.<br/>Just because someone was using Chakra didn’t mean that they were the persons he was looking for.<br/>He made sure to suppress his Chakra signature before moving in closer. No need to spook any Shinobis, or worse alert the Assassin of his presence.</p><p>Easily enough he reached the Hotspring. A quick glance around told him that it had been used. And there was an empty phiole.<br/>He picked it up. It was slick to the touch and almost slipped through his fingers.<br/>Oil.<br/>So either Tobirama had enjoyed a massage or - a different kind of enjoyment. If this was the place Tobirama had been - this would leave a scar on his soul for sure, if he lived to tell the tale. Someone he obviously trusted very much had betrayed him. Izuna felt bile and hate rise up in his throat. This was a sick move. <br/>He let the empty phiole drop into the water, putting it back onto the ground would have made a sound far too loud for his liking. Then he wiped his hand on his trousers. Slick fingers could mean death in a fight.</p><p>He crept closer to the door.<br/>A colourful curse reached his ear, but the voice was unknown to him. The next sentence on the other hand made it clear that he had found his goal.</p><p>“Would you just die already?”</p><p>Izuna quickly slid the door open.<br/>And thanked the Gods that he had activated his Sharingan before.<br/>Without it he wouldn’t have had the time to catch Tobirama's flying body before he hit him. With the Senju in his arms he led Chakra into his legs and then pushed.<br/>He landed softly behind the Pond. The water sloshing around it by the force of Izunas Jump.<br/>Tobirama was frozen in his arms, unmoving.<br/>Then he started to struggle and Izuna let him go, still watching the room.</p><p>“Who is he?” he asked, when the owner of the unknown voice stepped outside.</p><p>“You?” Tobirama looked at him, eyes wide in shock and disbelief. Quite a cute look on the usual stern face.</p><p>“Can’t be me over there.”, Izuna shook his head and smirked. “I am here.”</p><p>“This is none of your business”, the stranger said. “Do not get involved, Uchiha-san. I am here on an official mission.”</p><p>Izuna heard the small intake of breath Tobirama took. Carefully he pulled out one of his kunai, pushing it into Tobirama's hands.</p><p>“I know.”, he stood up, pulling Tobirama's short sword out of his sheath. “That is why I am here.”</p><p>He studied his opponent. A Hyuuga. That explained why Tobirama had not used any of his Jutsus, like the Water Dragon. He probably was not able to anymore.<br/>Good thing he had given the Senju a Kunai. From his own experience he knew how mean Tobirama's Taj-Jutsu could be. He could get quite creative with where to put this small weapon.</p><p>“Oh? You want to finish him?” The Hyuuga grinned. “But I will remain to be the one that gets paid.”</p><p>Izuna glared and kept eye-contact with him.<br/>He really hated the smug bastard. How dare he compare them to each other?<br/>Nothing moved for several seconds. They watched each other, trying to see what the other one would do.</p><p>The steam of the Hot Spring became thicker and more plentiful. Framing them in a white veil, making the scene look otherworldly. </p><p>Blood splattered onto the wooden floor and into the Hot Spring. Red Spots turned in the water, fanning out and turning it pink.<br/>Tobirama gurgled, blood in his throat and then the body collapsed to the side. Blood still flowed out of him. The water turned from a faint pink to a deeper shade.</p><p>Izuna smiled mercilessly. “I don’t care about money, Hyuuga.”, The blood dripping sword still in his hand and the blue Jacket around his torso.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>HAHA!Hahahaha!Hahahaha *evil cackling* </p><p>Oh! This is soooooo amazing! XD <br/>Izuna finally reaches Tobirama and does this!<br/>I really am looking forward to your comments :D<br/>And holly sh*t! 306 Kudos?! O.O What the- I never thought I would get this many. Like- what? Why?<br/>But I am having fun writing this fic, seeing the Kudos number rise and reading your comments. :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. The Veil lifts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The fight (very unfair one) between Izuna and Geljin. If you can even call it a fight...<br/>Izuna gets some informations and:<br/>Blurry Vision - togethere with a very frustrating Tobirama.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Izuna hummed and stepped around the Hot Spring. Ignoring the body of Tobirama and keeping his gaze fixed on the Hyuuga.</p><p>“What- You killed him.”, the man stepped unsure back.</p><p>“Why so surprised?” Izuna kept his voice cold and detached. “Wasn’t that what you tried to do? And failed at, I might add.”</p><p>“I almost had him!” growled the Hyuuga. “If you hadn’t interrupted-”</p><p>“Oh no. Are you going to cry about how unfair the world is? Spare me.”, he rolled his eyes. Some people were just beyond any help.</p><p>“Why did you come here?”</p><p>“Tobirama Senju is my rival. You had no claim on him. None at all.”, the Sharingan in Izuna’s eyes spun widely and flicked shortly to the empty phiole, floating up and down in the deep red water. A dark blue Koi swam circles around it, nudging it now and then with his body. “You even had to use treachery to even get on even ground. So that you had any chance to match him. You are nothing! A weakling. And you wanted to kill him?!”</p><p>Izuna stood now right in front of the Hyuuga. Furious Anger radiating off him.</p><p>“The audacity! The arrogance!” Izuna spat.</p><p>The Hyuuga grinned suddenly. An Aura of Superiority started to surround the Hyuuga, he stood taller and even more proudly than before. Izuna wanted to cut his head off right then and there. But no. Patience. And he would have a much more satisfying killing.</p><p>“Oh? Jealous, are we? That I got some from him and you didn’t.”, the Hyuuga stepped closer, so close in fact that Izuna could feel the warmth of him, his eyes calculating. “How interesting. But not very surprising. He did have a pretty face. And an amazing arse.”</p><p>The Steam of the Hot Spring drew closer, engulfing them. Only whiteness surrounded them now.</p><p>“You should have heard him moan.”, the grin turned maniac. “I fucked him good and hard. And he liked it. Sure, the pain was not something he particularly enjoyed, but I sure did. And he seemed to like to be bossed around. No wonder, since he is such a-”</p><p>Izuna's hand shot forward and slapped the man across his face. The force and pain of it made him stumble backwards and away from Izuna. The sound echoed through the fog.</p><p>“You are nothing.”, Izuna repeated hissing.</p><p>“I am his first!” shouted the Man, laughing proudly into the fog. “His first and his last! You? You are the one who meant nothing to him.”</p><p>Silence fell over the two men.<br/>The small smile on Izunas face showed up slowly but without any interruption or hesitation.</p><p>“You lost. You failed.”, Izuna stepped closer.</p><p>The eyes of the Hyuuga widened as he noticed that he couldn’t move. Not an inch, not even one of his fingers.<br/>The Fog was ripped away, giving the scenery free again.</p><p> </p><p>A scenery only of black and red. Red sky, red earth, black trees, black crosses.</p><p>“Did no one ever teach you not to look into the Sharingan?” Izuna grinned and started to laugh slightly when he noticed how the Hyuuga flared his chakra, trying to free himself from the Gen-Jutsu.</p><p>“That won't work. I am an expert in Gen-Jutsu. The best in our clan. And our clan is naturally amazing at it. So imagine what I am capable of. Or don’t, you will experience it after all. That is why only Tobirama can actually face me in a battle.”, Izuna hummed and looked at the short sword in his hands, petting it lovingly. “Because he doesn’t. Do you understand? I don’t think he ever looked directly into my eyes. And still he managed to stay alive and even injure me. He truly is something special.”<br/>Izuna stepped around the Hyuuga, making sure that there was no sound.<br/>“But you? You looked into my eyes at the first opportunity. Such a stupid man, I thought. And who am I to let such an opportunity pass by? I wanted to try this out again for - oh, a few months now, I think.”</p><p>“What is it?” The Hyuuga found himself bound and shackled against one of the crosses. The black trees swayed in the non-existing breeze.</p><p>“It is called the Tsukuyomi. Uses a lot of chakra. But it is so worth it. Once you catch the person in it, they can’t escape until it is finished. And let me tell you, you won't be alive when it is. Or at least, not long after it is finished.”, Izuna shrugged.</p><p>“But you killed him!”</p><p>He sighed and shook his head. “Haven’t you listened? The Gen-Jutsu started as soon as you looked into my eyes.”</p><p>After a few seconds of thoughtful silence, “He is alive.”</p><p>“And in my arms.”, hummed Izuna, jumping up once and smiling.</p><p>“And what now?”</p><p>“Your death, of course. I thought that was quite obvious.”, he looked at the Hyuuga. “You really were his first?”</p><p>He knew he shouldn’t ask. He shouldn’t know. But Izuna had never been good with letting things go.</p><p>“Yes.”, came the answer.</p><p>“When?” Izuna put the shortsword back into its sheath, and pulled out a small kunai.</p><p>The Hyuuga shrugged “Does it matter?”</p><p>Izuna frowned. “I don’t know. You tell me.”, And then he pierced the Achilles tendon.<br/>The scream of agony ripped through everything.<br/>Izuna pulled the kunai out again and waited.</p><p>He knew how effective a small and slow torture could be. And here he had all the time he needed.</p><p>“This specific Gen-Jutsu alters the perception of time.”, Izuna spoke to the kunai, as if it was necessary for the weapon to be aware of such a fact. “Only a few seconds will actually pass. But it will seem like three days. And I will make sure that they will be like eternity for you.”, The look he threw at the Hyuuga was full of hatred and disgust.</p><p>“We were kids, okay? We had only kissed.”, Panic was etched into the voice.</p><p>“And?”</p><p>“And what?”</p><p>Izuna cut the other Achilles tendon. What luck that every human had two.<br/>The scream went slightly longer this time.<br/>Sweat was running down the Hyuugas face, it was pulled into a face of agony.</p><p>Izuna had heard from the Healers of his clan that having the Achilles tendon cut was one of the most painful experiences a human could feel. The pain wouldn’t stop until they were healed and of course Izuna had no plan of healing the man.</p><p>“Nothing else.”, quickly the man added “Until yesterday.”, tears were running down his face.</p><p>Izuna smiled. But there was no joy or mercy in it. It was cold and seemed to have been etched from stone, unmoving.</p><p>“You are disgusting. Making him believe you cared for him, just so you could satisfy your own needs and cruel dreams. A perfect disgusting traitor.”</p><p>“As if you are different.”, spat the Hyuuga. “You would fuck him without hesitation, just like I-”, the rest of the sentence went under in a howl.</p><p>Izuna pulled the kunai back and looked at it again.</p><p>“I would never lie to him about my feelings. I do not know him yet. But I will. I will see what is under his careful control and calculating eyes.”, he turned away and looked at the black trees.<br/>Another scream came from behind him.<br/>He was in his world. A world he could control and manipulate in every way he wanted.</p><p>“I will see what you never did. And I will achieve it without lies. Tobirama will show me by his own free will.”</p><p>“And-” the Hyuuga whimpered and gasped for air. “what. would that. be?”</p><p>“His heart.”, Izuna sat down on a black stone, ignoring the screams, whimpers and sounds of throwing up.</p><p>Maybe there hadn’t been any need to make the Hyuuga remember all of his sicknesses. But there also hadn’t been a reason not to.<br/>The sky moved and time passed. Screaming and begging filled the air. Tears and blood fell to the ground.</p><p>--</p><p>Izuna blinked.</p><p>He was back in reality.<br/>A small thumb and a splash was the only thing he heard.</p><p>His vision was blurry and unfocused, but the Hyuuga was not standing where he had before and there was a big dark shape floating in the water.</p><p>“What just happened?”</p><p>Izuna let go of Tobirama and the short sword. It clattered onto the wooden floor, but Izuna wasn’t concerned about that. He pressed his fists against his eyes and groaned.<br/>Fuck.<br/>He had forgotten why he normally didn’t use the Tsukuyomi. It took a lot out of him and his eyes couldn’t focus on anything for the next twenty minutes or so. Making the world blurry and wanky. It moved in ways he knew it shouldn’t and couldn’t. His Equilibrium system is always after it out of order and upset. Making him regret ever having found out about this special Kekkei Genkai of his family. But it had been very useful. And oh so satisfying.</p><p>“Izuna? Hey!”</p><p>A steady hand was on his shoulder, stopping him from falling over.</p><p>“Just. Give me. A second.”, he mumbled. “I’m. Fine.”</p><p>“You neither sound nor look the part.”</p><p>Izuna snorted and leaned against the hand a little bit more than necessary.</p><p>“Just can’t see very well right now.”, it may not be a good thing to tell that to his rival and enemy of his clan, but he couldn’t care less about it right now.</p><p>“What did you do?”</p><p>He could feel Tobirama move and then two hands were there, pushing him until he was sitting. That helped a little bit to calm the swaying of the world.</p><p>“Kekkei Genkai Gen-Jutsu. It burns through Chakra like hell, but it is unbreakable and very effective.”, he lets his hands fall from his eyes and blinks. Still blurry and fuzzy. But there was Tobirama, the spot of white hair easy to identify even with his shitty vision.</p><p>“Not very clever of you to use it.”, Tobirama didn’t sound very angry or berating, but more tired than anything else. “I can’t use my Chakra and now you don’t have any left.”</p><p>“I doubt that anyone will be attacking us here. The Inn is known as a Place of Truce. Speaking of which, they make a great breakfast here. Would you mind ordering one to the room?”</p><p>He heard Tobirama sigh.</p><p>“You are aware that we have a dead body floating in the Hot Spring, yes?”</p><p>“Ah. I see your point. Give me around fifteen minutes. Then my vision should be good enough that I can find my way to the owner and explain things.”, Izuna blinked again. Ah, now there was already some progress. The red splotches became more rounder. Maybe he wouldn’t need the whole twenty minutes, if he could already see Tobirama's eyes a little clearer.</p><p>“Would they believe you?”</p><p>“One of their most loyal customers? Of course.”</p><p>“I guess, I shouldn’t be surprised by that.”, The colours that formed Tobirama moved around and Izunas brain only catched up to what was happening after a few seconds. Tobirama had sat down next to Izuna and waited.</p><p>After a few hours (which really were just a few minutes, Izuna was just dramatic) of just sitting in silence Izuna was ready and willing to crawl out of his skin. How Tobirama managed to just sit there and wait, not speaking, not doing Anything was a complete mystery to him. And it was starting to drive him nuts!</p><p>“Aren’t you going to ask?”</p><p>“Ask what?” Tobirama's voice was calm and quiet, as if he wasn’t really in the presence but thinking about something else and somewhere else.</p><p>“Why I am here? Why did I help? Just- Aren’t you surprised or even shocked? Not even a little bit?!” he gestured forward to the Hot Spring. Hoping Tobirama understood that he wasn’t pointing at the body, but meant the whole situation that had just occurred.</p><p>“A little bit. But it can wait until you can see properly again.”</p><p>He threw his hands in the air. This man, seriously. He needed to know what was happening in that pretty head, and he needed to know NOW.</p><p>“There is one thing, so.”, Tobirama sayed.</p><p>Aha!</p><p>“Why are you wearing my jacket?”</p><p>Oh.<br/>Oh!<br/>Well.<br/>Shit.</p><p>Izuna felt the heat creep into his ears. Hopefully his hair was covering them up. His cheek luckily never grew red, or at least not much. But his ears? Oh, they could turn into a fiery shade of red that would put the red in their Clan symbol to shame.</p><p>“Found it. And it was the only way to carry it without it getting in the way.”, that was the truth after all.</p><p>“Aha.”, said Tobirama and then they fell into silence again.</p><p>Izuna groaned and fell to his back.<br/>He hated not having anything to do. He needed something to occupy him. Normally he would watch things, but his ruined eyes right now that was impossible. And moving around would make him look like an absolute fool. Not exactly something he wanted in front of Tobirama.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Alright. I know the last chapter ended very mean.<br/>But I hope I made it up with this.<br/>In case if you are wondering: Geljin did not die because of the Tsukuyomi. He is just unconscious in the water... And since Tobirama believes he is dead, and Izuna has no intentions of pulling him out. I think you see what his reason of death is.<br/>Now, Awkwardness starts. Izuna and Tobirama alone... What might happen?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. You said not good. That is different than bad.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Breakfast time!<br/>But Tobiramas mind finally catches up with the stress. Trigger warning for anxiety and panic attack!</p><p>And of course he still needs to be healed. So Izuna gets a crash course in Healing.<br/>Touka watches Hashiramas coping method and gives a promise.</p>
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    <p>Tobirama looked down at the breakfast standing right in front of him.<br/>The day had started awful with Geljin trying to kill him and turned out very weird with being saved by Izuna Uchiha.<br/>His brain was still trying to wrap itself around that fact. It was so wrong. He had killed Izuna without a second thought years ago, but he had now saved him in a situation where he could have easily let him die.<br/>Guilt and Shame made bile rise up in him. Or maybe that was the internal damage that he had received from his fight.</p><p>Strawberries, Orange slices, rice, tuna, eggs, other things he hadn’t yet looked at especially and of course green tea were in front of him.</p><p>“Not hungry?”</p><p>He looked up and saw how Izuna put down his chopsticks. Then he looked down again, unable to keep looking at that friendly face.<br/>This felt so wrong. He should be dead, shouldn’t he?</p><p>“Not really.”, he mumbled and, just to have something in his hands, he picked up the teacup and held it up to his lips. He took a small sip and felt how the warm liquid went into his stomach. It soothed his stomach a little bit, but not much, it still turned wildly into itself, or at least that was how it felt.</p><p>“How are you feeling?” Izuna asked as if noticing his stomach unease.</p><p>Tobirama shrugged and looked at his tea. How was he feeling. Guilty, ashamed, like a monster, dirty, lost, broken, and not to forget like he would throw up at every moment.<br/>Waves were sloshing at the surface. He hadn’t even noticed that his hands were shaking.<br/>Quickly he sat the cup down, hoping that Izuna hadn’t noticed.</p><p>Izuna sighed heavily.<br/>Tobirama refused to look up and continued to stare at the tea.</p><p>His mind was racing and frozen at the same time.<br/>Running in circles, screaming at himself to not do this. But not coming up with any other idea on what else to do.<br/>His throat closed up, a stone sitting in it, hurting him.<br/>Making it harder to breath.</p><p>He wanted to push the teacup further onto the table, but his hand wouldn’t react to the screams of his brain.</p><p>Why wasn’t his hand moving? It needed to move, now!<br/>His breathing was too loud, far too loud. He could only hear a constant rushing noise, a static sound, loud and at the same time so silent.<br/>He was cold, so cold. But he was sweating so much, because he was too warm.</p><p>Nothing was right here.<br/>This was bad.<br/>He was bad.<br/>He wasn’t safe here.<br/>He wasn’t safe anywhere.<br/>To right. He didn’t deserve it.</p><p>He felt something drap itself over him.<br/>And he moved. He wasn’t sure why. Was he doing it himself?<br/>Somehow he was pulled away from the table, and he ended up sitting against the wall. His head between his knees, his hands holding onto something with an iron grip.<br/>He gasped for air. It resounded in the space created by his body.</p><p>“It is alright.”, someone said in a soft voice.</p><p>Right. Another person was with him. Seeing him like this. Like the mess, the broken monster, that he truly was. But who was it again? He should know, shouldn’t he?</p><p>“Breathe. You just have to breathe right now. Everything else is not important.”</p><p>That voice was so calm. And it sounded so sure of what it was saying.<br/>Maybe it was correct.</p><p>“Just breathe, Tobirama. Breathing is important.”</p><p>He gasped again for air, trying to somehow get to the calmness the other person had.<br/>He gasped again.<br/>And again.<br/>Gulping down air and shuddering it out again.<br/>Over and over and over again.</p><p>“There. You are doing great.”</p><p>He was?<br/>Tobirama uncurled a little bit.<br/>If he was doing great, that meant that this was okay. That he wasn’t a monster, right? Just broken.</p><p>“Now try deeper and slower. Can you do that?”</p><p>Could he?<br/>Tobirama shuddered his air out again. Then he nodded.<br/>He could at least try.<br/>He took a deep breath, unsure and wobbly, but he managed. The air left him in one big whoosh.</p><p>“Slowly. Take your time. You have it.”</p><p>His hands gripped stronger at whatever they were holding onto.<br/>He breathed in again, slow but still stuttering. When he breathed out, trying to stop it from leaving him too fast, he concentrated and eased his hands a little.<br/>Again he stuttered air into his lung and out again.<br/>The thing he was holding onto was moving. Closer to his head and then he felt fingers wandering through his hair.</p><p>“Yes. Like that.”, the finger combed through his hair, almost petting him. “In. And. Out.”, whispered the voice in harmony with his breathing.</p><p>Tobirama opened his eyes.<br/>Somehow afraid of what he might see. But of course he only saw his legs, and a part of the floor.</p><p>He swallowed and breathed in again.<br/>After a few minutes of just doing that, he felt stable enough to look up.</p><p>Straight into Izuna’s face.<br/>Right. Izuna. Izuna was with him.</p><p>He noticed that his hands were holding onto Izunas forearm, and let it go as if it was flaming hot.<br/>He looked down again, feeling the blood rush into his cheeks.</p><p>He wanted to die so badly. Or better to be already dead, so that this would have never had happened.</p><p>“It is alright.”, Izuna said. “Madara has these too sometimes. Everything gets too much. And you were holding this in for sometime, didn’t you?”</p><p>Tobirama shook his head. He couldn’t talk, something was still in his throat. But he certainly wasn’t going to agree to that question.<br/>Izuna just hummed a soft tone at that.<br/>Nothing really happened for a while.<br/>Tobirama continued to stare at the floor and to breathe. Hoping that by some miracle nothing of this had actually happened.</p><p>He blinked. Something was still happening.<br/>He pressed his eyes shut.<br/>Oh Kami.<br/>Izuna was still going through his hair!!!</p><p>Why?!</p><p>The hand stilled.<br/>But didn’t pull away.</p><p>“Can you look at me?”</p><p>Tobirama shook his head again. Vigorously.<br/>He would rather die. Or maybe he would die out of shame if he did. Both option he didn’t want.</p><p>“Fine.”, Izuna sighed softly. “But you have to get out of this position. I don’t really think it is good for your injuries. It was okay as long as the attack lasted. But now you should stretch out, I think.”</p><p>Slowly, very slowly, Tobirama stretched his legs out. That was logical after all. And his stomach felt as if it was set aflame.<br/>Turned a little bit, scooted over the ground, because he didn’t believe his legs would hold him up and layed down.<br/>Looking up at the ceiling.<br/>He breathed in.</p><p>This day was almost the worst day of his life. But just almost.</p><p>“Alright.”, Izuna's face showed up over him, smiling down. “I don’t know much about healing. What about you?”</p><p>“A bit.”, he croaked out, fixing his eyes right back onto the ceiling. Hashirama had teached him a bit. It had turned out that his brother was very very bad at teaching and explaining.</p><p>“Oh good. I was afraid I would have to ask around. And I don’t think I could come up with a good lie to explain this. I take that you can lead me through it?”</p><p>“Through what?” Tobirama's brain was still trying to understand what had happened, and to forget it at the same time. And the change of topic was something it had to cope with.</p><p>“Healing you, of course.”</p><p>Tobirama frowned at the ceiling, his head jumping at the new topic now that it had understood it - a perfect distraction, a problem that had nothing to do with what had just happened. Leading Izuna through the steps to heal his internal damage, done by the gentle fist. That wasn’t a good idea.</p><p>“I think you will need your sharingan for that. And you shouldn’t use it agai-”</p><p>“No problem.”</p><p>“Wait. What?”</p><p>“I said, no problem. I can use it again.”</p><p>“But you said just an hour ago that your chakra reserves are completely empty.”, Tobirama remembered clearly how blind Izuna had been. Noone could act being blind that good.</p><p>“I got a bit of chakra back from the time and the food. Enough to use the normal sharingan for a few minutes. So what do I have to do after activating it?”</p><p>“I don’t think that that is a good idea.”, it was a bad bad idea. Izuna would end up with chakra depletion, again, just after an hour. That would be painful for him.</p><p>“I am not asking for your opinion on my decision. Just to lead me through this. So what do I have to do?”</p><p>Tobirama sighed defeated. It seemed that nothing was going to stop Izuna. At least he should make sure that the other one wouldn’t do it wrong.</p><p>“How good is your chakra control?”</p><p>“Excellent. Why?”</p><p>Of course, it was, of course.</p><p>“Medical Ninjutsu needs a high control of your chakra.”, he explained.</p><p>“That makes sense.”</p><p>“You have to concentrate your chakra in your hand.”, Tobirama frowned. “You use Yin Release, right?”</p><p>“Yes. Does this play a part here?”</p><p>“Yes. Because I learned it with Yang Release.”</p><p>Izuna hummed. “I could try Yang-”</p><p>“No. That would be even more dangerous. Given that you have little to no experience with it.”</p><p>“You make a good point. So what happens after I concentrate my chakra in my hand?”</p><p>“Point is it needs to be your healing chakra. What normally you use in a small instinctive way to heal yourself.”, Tobirama explained. Most Shinobis used the healing chakra without being aware of it. A reason why they healed faster than normal people. If you learned to use it, you could heal even faster. But in this time hardly anyone cared enough, everyone concentrated more on the ways to kill others, than on healing.</p><p>“Oh, hang on. I think I know what you are talking about. It looks green, right? And feels itchy and warm. Like a wound that scrapped over.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Good. Then I know how to call that one up. What then?”</p><p>“What you shouldn’t do is push it into me. That would do more damage. What you need to do is more like a - a - Imagine it like a hovering and then to let it flow through me, stitching the injuries and then letting it return to you.”</p><p>“That makes no sense at all.”</p><p>“I know.”, Tobirama sighed. Seemed like he wasn’t good at teaching Medical Ninjutsu as well. Maybe it ran in the family, who knew.</p><p>“Alright. Let's try it.”, announced Izuna and pressed his hands against Tobirama's stomach.</p><p>“I am strongly against this.”, stated Tobirama and closed his eyes. He would need to lead Izuna, and that meant to concentrate on how his body felt.</p><p>“Duly noted.”</p><p> </p><p>-------</p><p> </p><p>Touka had watched with fascination as one big tree after another big tree grew.<br/>Hashirama had managed to create a small wood. That was gigantic, into the vertical.<br/>He stamped out between the big trunks and stood finally back in front of her again. His face was still grim, but at least he wasn’t murderous anymore.</p><p>“Did Tobirama come back, yet?”</p><p>She shook her head. “No. But the elders are getting nervous, for some completely unknown reason. As if they know that something is going wrong.”, she threw a glance at the trees again.<br/>Even thousands of miles away people would know that something was wrong in the Senju Clan.</p><p>Hashirama sighed. Then his head turned sharply, as if noticing something important.<br/>Touka looked into the same direction. But nothing was there.</p><p>“Something wrong?” she asked just to be sure.</p><p>“No. It is alright.”, Hashirama turned away again. “Is Mito still keeping an eye on the elders? I don’t want them to run off and reach whoever they paid.”</p><p>“Yes. But I really don’t like this, Hashirama. I know we don’t have proof, except for my word. But-”</p><p>“I know. I don’t like it either. Can you go and find Tobi? I can’t leave without letting the whole clan know that there is an emergency. And we can’t afford a mass panic. I hate to ask this of you. But I promise I will keep Mito safe.”</p><p>“You better.”, Touka growled.<br/>She really didn’t want to leave Mito. Not that she didn’t trust Hashirama, she would trust her with her own life. But this was Mito. On the other hand, Tobirama was in deadly danger. And she knew how much Hashirama was itching to run to his little brother, to save him. She wanted to save Tobirama, of course.<br/>She sighed and looked at the worried eyes of Hashirama. “Don’t worry. I will bring our genius back home.”, she clasped her hand at his shoulder. “You just make sure that there will be a home to get him too.”<br/>Hashirama nods.</p><p>Touka checked her pockets quickly.<br/>Did she have everything for this journey?<br/>Seemed like it.<br/>Only one thing left to get.<br/>A good luck kiss from her wife.</p><p>Her wife!<br/>She was still and probably would always be excited about that fact.</p><p> </p><p>-------</p><p> </p><p>Izuna looked to his side at Tobirama.<br/>Given the circumstances he had done a pretty good job at healing the other one.</p><p>Of course there had been moments where Tobirama had corrected him with “slower.” or “too much” or “not that way” - but it had worked. Somehow.<br/>Tobirama was stabilized. But it would probably take days until the damage to his chakra system and organs would have healed.<br/>The other wounds, the one you couldn’t see, they would take years to heal.</p><p>“I told you that this was a bad idea”</p><p>“No, you said it was not a good idea.”, corrected Izuna, laying right next to Tobirama on the floor. “There is a difference.”</p><p>“I wish to complain to a higher authority about you.”</p><p>“Good. My brother does so look forward to those.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>360 Kudos! Oh. My. God! You guys are amazing! Thank you sooooo much &lt;3<br/>I loved all your comments, and I really hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. We are finally making head way in the relationship of Tobirama and Izuna.</p><p>Poor Tobirama had an anxiety and panic attack. Those are really mean. I have them too. Especially when i freak out about my studys and failining.</p><p>Next chapter: What was Hashirama looking at? Tobirama and Izuna in hot-spring vacation.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Don't be suspicious. Don't be suspicious. *wiggles around on a treebranch*</h2></a>
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            <p>Oh boy. Alright.<br/>a little bit later than usual, but I am learning for a test that is coming up - and i am in full panic mode, because I can't! I just- ugggggghhhhhh. I failed through once and now I am scared to fail again... so i kind of need a pick me up here. And writing this helped, and showing it to you guys helps too.<br/>Soooooooo. Madara sneaking off and sneaking in.<br/>Izuna having no impulse controll - again. And Tobirama finally asking the why and how question, you know, the important one.<br/>Mito is missing her wife, and cuddles with her silver grey cat Hime. Noone gets her joke. Poor Mito.<br/>Hashirama feels guilty for some reason - and is confused by everyone around him.</p>
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    <p>Madara stared at the forest. Several trees had just grown there high up into the sky.<br/>Even without them Madara would have known that something was wrong with Hashirama. His chakra was flaring widely over there.<br/>He looked around quickly. Could he dare to…?<br/>No One was around.<br/>The Elders were still in their little meeting, Kagami was training furiously in the backyard and Izuna was - somewhere. Not here, watching him, which was right now the important part.<br/>Just a small walk to clear his head couldn’t hurt, right? It wasn’t like it would be odd for him to look for a secluded and calm area.</p><p>Fine. It wasn’t a slow walk, more like a sprint - but he reached his favourite spot faster and no one had noticed. So it was fine. It was fine.<br/>He stopped at the river, looking around once again. He could still hear both of them laughing and throwing water at each other, each time he came here.<br/>And there, right there, was his favourite spot. He sat down and waited.<br/>No one - not even Izuna - knew that this was it.<br/>A big flat stone under a thick tree. Enough sun to warm it and enough shadow so it wasn’t blinding. Close enough to the river so he could hear the calming rippling of the water, but not so close that he could be hit by cold water drops.<br/>And this wasn’t even the best part of it.<br/>He had put the stone there, with a copied earth jutsu. And Hashirama had grown the tree for them, it had been the first one he had created and Madara had almost lost it back then out of shock.<br/>It had been their spot to relax after training. Sometimes they would talk, but his favourite times were when they were silent together.<br/>One time he had fallen asleep, on a very hot summer day, and woken up with flowers (mostly red and yellow) woven into his hair. Of course he had yelled at Hashirama and chased him around for a few minutes. But he had enjoyed it and had felt sad when he had to pluck them out before going home.</p><p>Hashirama had not yet come.<br/>Madara closed his eyes and concentrated.<br/>The chakra signature of Hashirama, that was just as familiar as that of his brother to him, hadn’t moved.<br/>Madara frowned.<br/>What had happened?<br/>Hashirama had clearly been either upset or fought an enemy, by the surge of his chakra and the sprouting trees in the distance.</p><p>Madara checked his pockets. Some kunai, a few shurikens, bandages, the flat skipping stone with the small scratched in message hidden in the extra secret pocket (his hand clutched around it only for a few seconds, only because he liked the texture, not because it always tended to ground him, no) and a few chakra needles. That should be enough for what he had planned.</p><p>This spontaneous decision making could not become a habit of his, he couldn’t afford it.<br/>But this was an emergency. Clearly.<br/>Maybe the Senju clan had been attacked, or an assassin had sneaked in, or something else bad had happened.<br/>He would only check, he swore to himself. Short check on the senju clan, a little bit of scouting and spying on their enemy. Nothing else. And not for long.<br/>Yes. Right.</p><p>He ran across the river, leaving the tree and stone behind him, vanishing into the woods.</p><p>------</p><p>Izuna groaned.</p><p>“I told you.”</p><p>“Oh shut up, you.”, he groaned again and rolled over to his side on the bed. Glaring up at Tobirama.</p><p>“If you say so. What do you want for lunch?” Tobirama was looking nonchalant at a scroll he had rolled up over his lap, leaning on the headpiece of the bed.</p><p>“I didn’t know they had menus here.”</p><p>“They don’t.”, Tobirama frowned down at him.</p><p>“What is this then?” Izuna lifted his hand and flicked the scroll, not having much energy for anything else.</p><p>“Nothing.”, Tobirama rolled it up and put it on the night table. “So lunch?”</p><p>Izuna shrugged. His eyes flickering to the scroll. A green thread was tied around it. Did Tobirama have a scroll at the beginning? He wasn’t sure. But why would Tobirama have a mission scroll of his clan with him? Members of the clan didn’t get these, normally.</p><p>“I will then just order some of everything.” Tobirama slipped off the bed, still mindful and careful in his movements.</p><p>Izuna's eyes fixed themself on the scroll.<br/>No.<br/>He could control his urge to look into it. Right?<br/>It probably wasn’t even that interesting.<br/>The door slipped with a soft thunk closed behind Tobirama.</p><p>Izuna stretched a little.</p><p>---------</p><p>Madara squatted down on the tree branch and looked around.<br/>Alone the fact that no Senju (especially a  white haired one) was attacking him, meant that something was off.<br/>But there were no signs of a fight, no scratches, no marks of damage, no weird earth shapes, nothing seemed off. Only that he couldn’t see anyone.<br/>It was empty.<br/>They could be inside, but it was odd. It was a sunny and warm day, perfect for training and drying some clothes, or just enjoying one of the last days of summer.<br/>Just to be sure, he checked again, looking for any sign that someone was hiding themself.<br/>All the chakra signatures he could feel were inside, but they were blurry and he couldn’t focus on any or locate them.</p><p>Slowly and carefully he edged across the treeline, trying to figure out which house belonged to Hashirama. Quickly he registered that the Senjus had built their Compound very differently than the Uchihas had. There was no apparent order to who lived where, the sizes of the house also no real indicator to who it might belong to.<br/>Of course it wouldn’t be easy to find his best friend in his own home.</p><p>Madara looked up and froze.<br/>Oh.<br/>Well.<br/>The house had two floors, but was longer than most. The wood of the walls were not easily seen, because of the things that drew Madara's attention to it. It was overgrown with vines, as far as he could see and define they were different kinds of vines.<br/>If that wasn’t the house that screamed Hashirama Senju, he would eat his own scythe.</p><p>Time to break into the house of his best friend.</p><p>---------</p><p>Izuna sat on the bed. Trying to look as unsuspicious as a cute little bunny.</p><p>He had read the scroll.<br/>Of course he had. He has no impulse control.</p><p>But it had no new information for him, he already knew that the Hyuuga had been sent and paid by the Elders of the Senju Clan.<br/>But for Tobirama it had to be like a second hard punch. It was proof that his old friend had turned against him, as well as his family.<br/>That must bring a lot of trust issues.</p><p>Something rang in the back of his mind. It had a connection with this situation. Something Madara had said. About what had it been? And when?<br/>Izuna leaned his head in his hands and stared at the wall, trying to remember.</p><p>The door slid open and Tobirama entered. In his hands was a tray full with sushi.</p><p>“I decided to get us Sushi.”, Tobirama sat it down and looked at Izuna. “You read the scroll, didn’t you?”</p><p>Izuna blinked, caught unaware. “What?”</p><p>“The scroll, you read it, yes?”</p><p>“I- yes.”, Izuna confessed with a small voice.</p><p>Tobirama noded. “Your thoughts?”</p><p>Izuna glided over to the food and sat down. “I am not quite sure. After all, I did know it was them. Given that I overheard. But until now I didn’t really take time to think about it.”</p><p>Tobirama's head snapped up. “Wait. Hang on. You knew?”</p><p>Izuna blinked.<br/>Then he understood.<br/>“Ooooh! Right. We never got around to the whole why I am here and how I got here.”, Izuna grinned and locked at the sushi again.</p><p>Tobirama had picked a good sample. He could see some with paprika, and decided to avoid these at all cost. The last time he had eaten that vegetable his skin had grown weird red spots that had itched like crazy.</p><p>“I had seen the Elders of our clan move into the woods. A spot they normally avoid to go into. Suspicious, I thought, I bet you agree.”, while he talked he picked up one of the chopsticks. “Thank you for the meal.”</p><p>Tobirama nodded silently.</p><p>“So I followed at a safe distance. And while I spied on their little secret meeting with the Elders of your Clan, I met a very awesome Lady, who was spying on your Elders. So we decided to spy together.”</p><p>Izuna put one sushi roll into the soja-sauce and then he carefully put a little wasabi on it. While he chewed, he gestured to Tobirama to also start eating. But the other one stared into nothingness. Slowly getting worried Izuna watched him. Hopefully Tobirama would not get another attack like before. He doubted that it would be manageable for either of them.<br/>Tobirama blinked and seemed to return to the present.</p><p>“Why did they meet with the Uchihas?”</p><p>Izuna swallowed. “They had a plan to shift the blame on an Uchiha, so your brother would give up the idea of peace. As if that would work.”, he scoffed. Then he noticed that Tobirama's face had turned white, sickly white.<br/>Tobirama put his head in his hands, almost hiding it completely, but remained silent.</p><p>“Long story short, the woman and I agreed that she would go back and talk with Hashirama, while I would go and look for you.”, Izuna ended and hoped that it somehow would pull Tobirama away from whatever was going on in his head.</p><p>----------</p><p>Madara slipped through the patio door inside the room.<br/>There was a table, some chairs, a kotatsu further away inside and two doors. Plants were strewn around the room as well, in different shapes and forms. Some of them even bloomed with strong colors.</p><p>One of the doors were opened and Madara froze.<br/>Their gazes locked and they just stared at each other for a few minutes.<br/>Then the woman sighed with no big emotions in it. She put a steaming cup down on the table between them, and started to pull her red hair up, quickly putting a sharp hair pin (with Jade jewels dangling from it, clacking against each other) into it, fixing it in a bun.</p><p>“Would you like some tea as well, Uchiha-san?”</p><p>Madara felt off balance.<br/>Who was she?<br/>And why was she in Hashirama's house?<br/>That this wasn’t Hashirama's house was completely impossible. Only one person would be this crazy to have so many plants.</p><p>“Uchiha-san?”</p><p>“Yes?” he asked, keeping a close eye on her.</p><p>“Tea?” her eyebrows raised in an elegant manner, but clearly arrogant.</p><p>Madara felt all of his hairs stand up, he didn’t like this woman. Not one bit.<br/>“No, thank you.”</p><p>She nodded and sat down, nipping on her tea occasionally.</p><p>Nothing happened for a few minutes. Madara felt stupid standing around, but he didn’t know what else to do. He would rather cut off his foot than sit down at the table with her. And he didn’t know where Hashirama could possibly be or when he would come home. Leaving to go look for him wasn’t an option either. Because then he would have to turn his back to this woman, and everything inside him was pointing out that he had neither his weapons nor his armor with him. And that hairpin had looked sharp. Far too sharp as that it wasn’t a concealed weapon. So he remained standing there, watching this woman.<br/>She put her cup down and her gaze met his with a calm certainty he had seen in only a few people. This woman knew who she was, and she would not be easily intimidated by anyone.</p><p>“My name is Mito Senju. I married into the clan only a few weeks ago and I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. But it has been an awful day. Will you sit down with me, Uchiha-san? I can assure you that Hashirama will be soon here.”</p><p>His stomach turned, the world tilted and broke apart.<br/>He had known that Hashirama was out of his reach, that he had fallen for the one person he could, would and Should never have. But being faced with the fact that someone else had what he so urgently wished for - it was like a punch in the face.<br/>Reluctantly he pulled one of the chairs away and sat down.</p><p>“Congratulations on your marriage.”, he crossed his arms and waited. Rage racing in his stomach and probably very clear in his voice. He had never been good at concealing his emotions like Izuna was.</p><p>“Thank you.”, she smiled at him and he could see her happiness was not faked.</p><p>Fuck. This. Woman.<br/>His leg started to whip up and down. She continued to drink her tea calmly. And Madara had the urge to just smack the tea out of her hands and ruin her perfect kimono and her perfect make-up, and everything else.</p><p>A door slammed, a screech was heard and then a furious apology by Hashirama.<br/>“Oh Kami! Hime, I'm so sorry! I didn’t know you were behind the door! No! Don’t-”</p><p>A silver lightning bolt shot out from the door and at Madara. Hiding behind his chair. It hissed.<br/>An elegant grey cat was hunkering behind him, hissing in the direction of the door.</p><p>“Hashirama”, Mito called. “Your boy toy is here.”</p><p>His head whipped around to her. And he could feel his blood rushing into his cheeks, warming them up.</p><p>“My what?” resounded the confused voice from the floor.</p><p>She only sighed and stood up. “I bet Touka and Tobi would have gotten the joke. Come on, Hime, let's leave this wretched klutz and cuddle in our misery of missing our sweet knight.”</p><p>“I said I was sorry!” Hashirama crawled into the room, clearly he had stumbled and fallen onto the floor in his hurry.</p><p>“You send my wife away! And then hurt my cat.”, the mentioned cat jumped up and onto her shoulders, the tail swishing in anger back and forth at her back, making the silk of the kimono rustle.</p><p>Madara blinked several times. Wife? Had he missed something here?</p><p>“I know. I am sorry. But she was the only I could have sent.”</p><p>“I know that. I understand that. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it!”, she sweeped out of the room and closed the door behind her.<br/>Hashirama sniffed and then looked up.</p><p>“Oh.”, he blinked. Then he frowned “Am I losing it?” He laid his hand on his head. “Fever? No.”, his eyes went small. “Did they poison me? That would be stupid. Most of those don’t work on me anymore.”</p><p>“I am right here, you idiot!” he  stood up and walked over, pulling Hashirama up onto his feet.<br/>“Really?”<br/>“Yes.”<br/>“Madara?!”<br/>“Yes.”</p><p>“Really?!”<br/>“Yes!” Madara smacked him over the head.</p><p>“Why are you here?”</p><p> </p><p>“Why I am-” he groaned. “Your chakra was going crazy, trees bigger than I have ever seen you create are growing - I thought you were in danger!”</p><p>“Huh? Oh. That. Ahm. Well. Yes. I mean, no. I wasn’t fighting anyone. Just needed to get some anger out, that is all.”</p><p>They stared at each other.<br/>Then Madara snapped, he had to know and he needed to hear it from Hashirama. “Who was she?”</p><p>“Who?”<br/>“The woman!”<br/>“Oh. That is Mito, she is from the Uzumaki-Clan. And she is now my - I think the correct term is Cousin in Law? Like a sister in Law, but she married my cousin, not my brother. Does that make sense?”<br/>“She married one of your cousins?”<br/>“Yes. Touka, to be precise. Why?”</p><p>“Oh. Nothing. No reason.”, Madara turned around and walked back to his chair. Hoping that Hashirama would buy the lie.<br/>“If you say so.”, the suspicion in Hashirama's voice showed clearly that he had not believed him.</p><p>Madara only grunted and waved his hand dismissively. “What made you this angry? I did not come all this way just to talk with you about your cousin and his wife.”<br/>“Her.”<br/>“What?”<br/>“Touka is a female, Madara.”</p><p>“Oh. Well. Fine. Great for her.”, he roughly pushed one of the chairs with his foot to Hashirama, who sat down on it. Masking his relief of knowing that Hashirama had not married. “Still not why I came. What made you this angry?” he gestured into the approximate direction of the new gigantic wood.</p><p>“Ah. Mh. Don’t be mad?”</p><p>“Why would I be mad? What did you do?”</p><p>“Nothing!” Hashirama looked like a kicked puppy to him.</p><p>“Now talk to me, would you? Or do I have to pull it out of your nose?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Time between disasters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tobirama is home again, not in a good head space.<br/>Izuna has to cut his hair tie out of his hair and is being annoyed by his cousin, Kagami. That finally is making an entrance.<br/>Hashirama, Mito and Touka want to slap Tobi for his thinking about himself and they want to blow the elders up.<br/>Kagami - where at thoust gone?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ok. <br/>So I failed my test. And could cry, yell, kill and die at the same time. Because that means I have to take it again. And I don't want to take that again - again. Since I failed it the second time - UGH. But I need to pass....<br/>that is why the chapter is uploaded later than usual... again ;)<br/>I do hope you guys like it. &lt;3<br/>Thank you so much for all the Kudos and of course for the comments. I love them so much, and they help more than you might think</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tobirama stared at his wall.<br/>These had certainly been some eventful days. And it wasn’t over yet either.<br/>But he needed the time to think and breath.<br/>It seemed that he constantly needed that. And so he just took the time.<br/>His mind was slipping and so was his soul.<br/>Guilt was closing his throat, and disgust at himself made his stomach turn.<br/>He had killed Izuna at the first time without a second thought, and even felt some sort of accomplishment by it. And now Izuna had not only saved his life - twice! He had also been kind and understanding about his situation.<br/>He noticed that his breathing was picking up again and so he tried to control his breathing to be slower and deeper. Grabbing his pillow he pushed it around in his hand, needing something to do.<br/>He knew that changing events would change the course of history.<br/>That had been the plan and goal of the whole thing, after all.<br/>But now he was lost and without a plan of what would happen now. And so many things were hovering in the air, officially uncertain.<br/>Tsunade would never be part of his family now, given that Mito and Hashirama did not marry. She might even never be born.<br/>And the founding of the village was now uncertain as well.<br/>The elders had been essential for the peace contract and some of the ground rules of Konohagakure.<br/>After all, the elders were the ones leading their clans. And so the clan listened to them.<br/>Not on everything and certainly not everyone shared their set of mind. But the majority did.<br/>If Hashirama would take actions against them now, he would probably lose the acceptance of the rest of their clan. He was well liked, but the elders had their position of power for a reason and not since yesterday. Even with evidence of their betrayal, it didn’t mean much against tradition. And of course there was the fact that Hashirama had killed Butsuma. If they played that card correctly, he would lose everything.<br/>He sighed and looked down at the pillow.<br/>Weird how things turned out.<br/>He went back to save Izuna and now Izuna had saved him.<br/>Funny. Well, not really.<br/>Actually not at all.<br/>Part of him wondered if he should have died back there. Quickly he pushed the thought away. He had no time for this and it didn’t matter. He didn’t die. And now he had to face the consequences of his actions.<br/>He fell back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling.<br/>Question was what the consequences would be and how to handle them best.<br/>He pressed the pillow against his face and groaned.</p><p>-------</p><p>Izuna climbed through the window inside his room.<br/>It seemed like no one had noticed his absence over a good whole day.<br/>He sighed and started to relax.<br/>This had been a wild ride and full of ups and downs.</p><p>“Where were you?!”<br/>He would deny to the end of his life that he did not shriek. And that he certainly had not jumped at the shout of his cousin.<br/>“Kagami?! The fuck was that for?”<br/>Somehow Kagami was in his room, and he had not noticed him when climbing in.<br/>“And why did you come through the window?” Kagami's arms were crossed and a pout was on his face.<br/>“Why are you in my room?” Izuna crossed his arms as well. No way he would tell Kagami where he had been and what happened.<br/>“You promised to train with me and didn’t show up. So where were you and why are you sneaking into your own room? Mh?”<br/>“None of your business.”, Izuna grabbed the shoulder of his little cousin and started to push him outside. “Now leave.”<br/>“I don’t want to!”<br/>“Too bad. You're still leaving.”<br/>“No!”<br/>“Yes!”<br/>And with that shout he pushed Kagami out and closed the door quickly.<br/>“Asshole!” After that Izuna could hear Kagami kicking his door.<br/>He rolled his eyes and ignored the tantrum his cousin was throwing.</p><p>Feeling a headache coming on, he grabbed for the hair tie and pulled.<br/>Cursing, he bent over, since of course there were knots around it. His hair was always everywhere and tied itself around everything all on its own. It could probably kill a person just by him standing too close and too long next to them. And he hadn’t brushed it while he had been with Tobirama. Now he was paying the price.<br/>The Tie was stuck in his hair.<br/>Grumbling he pulled out one of his hands, the other one stuck in the knot with the tie. With the free hand he pulled out one of his kunais. Giving it a short glance, noticing that it was still sharp enough, he put it behind his head and tried to cut the tie. Careful, since he didn't want to lose a finger.<br/>Finally it gave way.<br/>But still it was stuck in his hair.<br/>He sighed and started to pull, wincing when he felt the pain at his scalp.<br/>After five minutes of this torture he had the cut tie in his hand. But it was not smooth like when he had put it in his hair, it was fluffy and several of his hairs were like a disgusting small waterfall of hair falling from it. His eyes fall on the floor and fixed on the few black hair on the wood, clearly visible against it.<br/>Izuna sighed and started to pick them up.<br/>No wonder his hair had no common length anymore if he had to get his hair ties out this way most of the time.<br/>Luckily it seemed that everyone believed he had this hairstyle on purpose and not just because he had no patience or skill with it.<br/>Throwing the tie and hair into the trash can, he went over to his table.</p><p>The door opened and he looked over his shoulder.<br/>“Do you know where Madara is?” Kagami stood in the door, holding it open.<br/>“No. And why are you here again?”<br/>“You said you would train with me! And you won’t. So I figured I could ask Madara, since he is better and nicer than you anyway, but-”<br/>“Alright! I will train with you, brat.”, Izuna brushed past him and down the stairs.<br/>“What about your hair?”<br/>“What about it?” Izuna send a glar to Kagami.<br/>“Nothing.”, he grinned widely and ran down the stairs and out to the training grounds. “Keep up!”<br/>Had Izuna known what would happen the next day, he may have not been so mean and hard on Kagami. But he didn’t and so he pushed Kagami to the brink and over it. Completely exhausting the child.</p><p>-----</p><p>Tobirama blinked at his brother.<br/>“I am sorry. What?”<br/>“I said, I am going to put the elders on trial.”, Hashirama put down the kettle and sat down.<br/>“Good for you.”, Touka reached over half of the table and plucked one of the Mochis into her mouth.<br/>“Yeah. No, I got that. But why?” <br/>Calmly Mito grabbed the kettle and poured herself and Tobirama some tea, pushing one of the cups into his direction.<br/>“Are you serious?” Hashirama tapped the scroll on the table. It had a green thread around it. “This is hard proof.”<br/>Tobirama pulled his hands over his face. “Yes. But no.”<br/>“How so?” Touka reached for a second mochi, even so she was not even finished with the first one. Tobirama slapped her hand, she pulled it away and started to pout.<br/>“Because if you might remember there is no rule against such actions.”<br/>“No, no.” Hashirama shook his head. “You're thinking about the rule Butsuma made. That one allows them to indirectly cause your death, by either sending you on a mission alone or to refuse treatment. I still haven’t figured out how to undo it yet. But it does not allow direct actions to kill you, like this one.”, he tapped the scroll again. “Their names are under this and the clear intent of murder is statet.”<br/>“They still can claim the right of-”<br/>“Of what?” Mito blinked at him. “You might not be well liked by the older generation, but you are beloved by the younger ones.”<br/>“And? The Elders are the one that have the power here. I just don’t want you to lose the one chance you had on peace. Just because you throw it out the window for me. That is ridiculous and unnecessary.”<br/>“Unnecessary?!” Hashirama's face looked thunderous.</p><p>“Oh.Oh.” Mito mumbled. <br/>“Should not have said that.”, Touka agreed and managed to snatch a Mochi, since Tobirama had closed his eyes in a desperate way to undo his formulation of his words.</p><p>“Unnecessary? I do Not think that keeping my brother safe is an unnecessary thing to do. Neither is it an action that would make the possibility of peace with the Uchihas impossible. It may even make the whole thing easier! So don’t you dare to think that your safety is not important or does not matter!”</p><p>Tobirama flinched slightly. He definitely could have said that better. But he was still off balance from the last days and he had wished that his goal was already achieved and it would be over. But he had to go through the hard work before it.<br/>“I- yes. I get that. I didn’t mean it that way. I just wanted to point out that if you do go against the Elders, it will likely turn the Clan against you. They are tired of the war, yes. But they also want things to stay the way they are. Including the Elders. Change isn’t something people like.”<br/>Mito shook her head. “I think you underestimate the way the clan loves Hashirama and you, Tobi. Because they like you. Even so you might not see it, they are on your side. Most of them just don’t want to believe that the elders would fall so deeply. This proof will change that.”</p><p>Tobirama sighed. “Nothing I will say will change your opinions, right? You will confront them about this.”<br/>Touka nodded “Oh yes. In front of everyone.”</p><p>---------</p><p>Kagami couldn’t see anything. His eyes blind folded and his mouth filled with some cloth, and his hands behind his back in shackles, his feet bound as well.<br/>He could hear breathing. Not only his own, but also of different persons. But he couldn’t say how many.<br/>Trying to see if he could use chakra, he focused some of it in his right hand.<br/>Nothing happened.</p><p>So he had no sight, no ability to move, no chakra, didn’t know where he was and who had captured him. Only that he wasn’t the only one in this room.<br/>He tried not to panic and pressed his eyes shut. The Situation was not ideal, but not bad. He was still alive. For now.<br/>Someone would notice his absence soon enough. And his family would save him. Or avenge him, if necessary.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Kagami, where art thou gone?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tobirama finds a dogo - or is it? And starts to use his genius brain to help.<br/>Kagami makes a friend in this weird weird bad situation. and figures that the world is full of braindead people.<br/>Izuna feels guilty and is losing his mind, because he worries.<br/>Touka goes to visit a friend ... somewhere?<br/>And Hashirama and Mito are one a fieldtrip to make some friends.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tobirama had taken a walk. He had to. Nothing would have made him stay.<br/>From what he could guess and predict, the Elders were probably right now in a discussion about what they had done and what happened with the whole clan, who were an adult.<br/>He would not stick around to see the disaster happen.<br/>Climbing over a fallen tree he noticed a white spot, round and too big to be a stone, it also looked too soft. Walking closer he noticed that it was a dog or wolf, curled up around itself. He stopped in his tracks, trying to distinguish if it was still alive by just looking. It took him some time, but after some time he took to concentrate he noticed the up and down moving.<br/>What did worry him was that the canine had not reacted. Not even the ears had moved and Tobriama had not been actively watching out to be quiet, so it should have noticed him.<br/>Inching carefully closer, he reached with his chakra out. He just wanted to see how badly it was hurt, if it already was in the last phase of death and therefore not rescuable anymore. But the reaction he got, made his decision a lot easier.<br/>The head of the canine lifted, revealing the blood and the fact that it was indeed a wolf (a rather small one, maybe still young). The snout opened and out came not a whine but a word.<br/>“Help”</p><p>------</p><p>Kagami felt awful. Someone had injected something into him, and he felt sluggish. He couldn’t focus and certainly could not decide where was up and down, least of all right or left.<br/>He wasn’t sure, but he could have sworn that he had heard someone cry. But it had stopped a while ago.<br/>He breathed in and noticed that the air had changed. The smell of a wood and fire drafted in, wind softly blowing over his face.<br/>A whispered conversation started.</p><p>“Which one is it?”<br/>“I don’t know.”<br/>“What do you mean you don’t know! You broke into the fucking Compound and got him here. You should know which one it is.”<br/>“Well. I don’t!”<br/>“Close the god damn door, you fucking idiots!” shouted someone from further away.</p><p>A soft thumb signaled that the door was closed once again.<br/>Kagami was certain that he had been meant in the short conversation. But giving the information would not end up with his kidnappers sending him home with greetings.<br/>At least now he knew that there were at least three to four people. But the group could be a lot bigger.<br/>Something touched him on his arm and he pulled back, shocked.<br/>After a few seconds he put his arm back to where it had been, meeting skin.<br/>Another person.<br/>Slowly and carefully he wiggled around until his hand was on the skin.<br/>A Praise on the Shinobi shorthand, he thought and started to tip away. Through the middle of his sentence, the thought of the possibility that the other one might be a civilian crossed his mind. He still continued on, finishing it.<br/>The other person shuffled, and Kagami could feel them moving. But he couldn’t really distinguish in what direction. It didn’t take long and he could feel a small hand right to his own.<br/>A child. A young child.<br/>Probably around the age of ten from how small the hand felt in his.<br/>But the fingers started to tip.<br/>A Shinobi as well.<br/>Thank Kami!</p><p>------</p><p>Hashirama was leaning over the wolf.</p><p>“I never did this with an animal. So it could take a while until she will wake up again.”, he stepped over to the sink, washing his hands free of the blood.</p><p>Tobirama looked down at the Wolf, frowning.<br/>They had to cut the hair to get a good look at the stomach wound, cleaned the messy thing and then finally had gotten around to healing it.<br/>The visible skin was pinkish and a scar was pulling itself in a criss-cross pattern over the left side.</p><p>“What do you think happened to her?”</p><p>“A human. No animal leaves wounds like that.”</p><p>“We are beings capable of an amazing amount of cruelty.”, he sat down and started to pet the head of the wolf. When his fingers tangled themselves in the fur, he undid the knot and continued on.</p><p>“Speaking of which, the Elders have been pretty much disempowered and Touka and Mito are right now trying to get everyone to build a new council. Which will not be filled with the ones that just happened to outlive the others, but actually were picked for their talents and opinions.”, his brother sat down as well and started to unknot the fur on the opposite side.</p><p>“Really? Did they make a system on how that would go? How long would they stay in the position? What if they died before the time ends, if it isn’t death that lets them lose it. Who is choosing? And in what form?” When Tobirama finally looked up he noticed the dull shine over his brother's eyes. He had lost him. “Anjia?”<br/>“Mh?”<br/>“What are they doing?”<br/>“Asking who would like to do it.”<br/>“And?”<br/>“And then they look at how many are for and against it.”<br/>“Aha. Anything else?”<br/>“I don’t think so.”</p><p>Tobirama sighed and continued the petting.<br/>So here he was now. With a new thing he had to organize.</p><p>A Council that wasn’t filled by the Elders of the Clan. An interesting idea, that was obvious.<br/>The question was how would it be picked? By the Clanhead? Then you got Butsuma and his loyal idiots of the Council. The people? Who would that be? A five year old could hardly decide who would be more adequate for a position in the council. And how long would someone stay in the Council? He knew that in the first Village the Hokage had the power to elect a few people of his own choice to the Council, and they would leave when the Hokage changed. But that wouldn’t do here. Not if there were no people who were unchangeable. For life time was out of the question. But only for a year was far too short. Maybe every five years there could be a voting of who should be in the Council.</p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p>Madara breathed in and exhaled. Izuna was sitting next to him, whites as a sheet and looking down at the floor.<br/>The Meeting was not going well.<br/>They should have talked about the fact that the Elders had gone behind his back, to talk with the Senju Elders and had agreed to take the claim on Tobirama Senju’s death, which had thanks to Izuna not happened. But it had only been addressed for at least half an hour.<br/>Someone had stormed in and announced that Kagami was missing.<br/>The accusations had not waited too long to fly around and stick to - who was surprised - the Senjus.<br/>Izuna had been unusually quiet and unmoving since then, but Madara knew that he couldn’t help him. Not more than what he was already doing.<br/>Their hands were clasped together, white with the force Izuna was holding on.</p><p>“Shut up!” Madara glared at the Elders, who quickly settled down. “You can’t actually believe that Hashirama Senju - the first clan head to officially forbid the killing of everyone under fourteen and if broken to be punished with death - would be the one to kidnap a child.”</p><p>“But he did kill his own father!” called someone out.</p><p> </p><p>------</p><p> </p><p>Kagami was amazed.<br/>Whoever had kidnapped him - was the biggest idiot that had to be alive on this earth. Or was very sure in their skills, so sure that it must be arrogance and would become their downfall.<br/>The Child next to him had introduced themselves, after a long back and forth of tipping in general shinobi shorthand (every Clan had their own personal one. But for emergencies there was the general one everyone had learned), as Natsuki Hatake. It had taken a while to tip out all that.<br/>Kidnapping a Hatake. And an Uchiha.<br/>What an idiot.<br/>There was hardly anything the Hatakes and their wolves couldn’t track down. And the Uchihas were known to be extremely stubborn, not to speak of their ability to hold amazing grudges.<br/>But of course just going from the Hope of being found in time was not a very safe way to become free.<br/>Whatever the injection had been, Natsuki had also gotten one.<br/>From what Kagami could feel, it probably was something to stop their chakra from being used. The shackles were gone, but he could still not do anything.<br/>He was bored.<br/>Thoughtless he started to tip away with his fingers.<br/>He heard a muffled giggle, and Natsuki started to tip back.</p><p>‘You just said spaguthi, terraso, caprasso’<br/>He grinned behind his gag and tipped back ‘a wonderful life motto?’<br/>‘you wish’</p><p> </p><p>----------</p><p> </p><p>Tobirama was cursing up a storm and then some more.<br/>Children were being stolen - Kidnapped. And what Riri, the young wolf,  had heard it was to get them out onto the sea and sell them to someone rich. But who the kidnappers were and who was the one buying the children, she hadn’t heard.<br/>And her memory was fuzzy, the blood loss had taken a toll on it. But she did remember having been in the room of her partner, Natsuki Hatake, and waking up with her gone. He initial thought had not been that someone had kidnapped her, but that Natsuki had just gone on a little walk without waking her up. So tracking her scent she went to find her, but she had found her over the shoulders of a stranger. That she had fought as strongly as it had been possible for her, went without saying. But she was a young wolf, still small and not yet strong.</p><p>Now Riri was laying next to him, resting and looking lost outside.</p><p>This hadn’t happened the first time around, as far as Tobirama was informed. But of course the kidnapping could have been masked as the deaths of the children in the fights.... Had he been overlooking this the first time around? He had been very focused on the Uchihas and himself. So it could be a possibility that it had happened. The Hatakes had joined their village later, and Tobirama could not remember having been introduced to Natsuki Hatake. Which should have happened, since (after Riri) she was the daughter of the clan head, and not kidnapped and alive at the time. But he hadn’t been. So either she had been kidnapped also back then, but no one had known, or she had died.<br/>But the kidnappings were happening now. And he certainly would not let it continue.</p><p>Petting the small head of  Riri, he looked outside as well.</p><p>Hashirama and Mito were on their way to the Hatakes, with the message of Riris whereabouts and an offer to help them find Natsuki and the other childrens, that may have been kidnapped. (Touka had gone kami knows somewhere - mumbling something about catching up with a friend.)</p><p>If it were someone who could get someone out of the homes of Shinobis, the Hatakes, the ones with the most sensitive noses in the world, they had to be extremely skilled at scented camouflage. Or they were reckless. Or just very very stupid. It also of course could be a combination of the three.<br/>After all, Riri had only smelled Natsuki, not the kidnapper.</p><p>One thing was clear, working together with another clan was vital for this. And would bring the possibility of peace a lot closer.<br/>Scribbling down a note about how he needed to include a paragraph about other clans joining the village on the peace treaty with the Uchihas (since it had not been on the first one and somehow he had forgotten the whole trouble of the first clan wanting to join their village), he started to think.</p><p>The kidnappers would need a hide out. It couldn’t be too out in the open. It needed to be close to the sea or a big street to the sea, so the children could be quickly moved and without much work. And it couldn’t be close to one of the Compounds of the Shinobis, since the patrols would be actively searching for intruders and hide outs.<br/>Combining this with the place where he had found Riri - she must have been placed there after her fight. She had fought with the stranger still in the borders of the Hatake clan, and then had been brought to the end lines from the Senjus.<br/>He was sure her placement hadn’t been thought through much.<br/>He needed a map.<br/>If he had a map, he was sure he could find out the area the hideout was in!</p><p> </p><p>-------</p><p> </p><p>Izuna felt awful to say the least. But that wouldn’t stop him from finding his cousin and punishing those who dared to touch him.<br/>Packing his backpack, he thought about where he could start to search. He didn’t have any clues and that made it hard. But sitting around home wouldn’t change anything either and it was driving him crazy already.</p><p>His window rattled. When he looked over to it, he saw a hand wave from the side.<br/>Pushing the window opened, he stepped aside quickly to avoid Touka Senju swinging inside.</p><p>“Guess what.”<br/>“I hate humans?”<br/>“Ha. You can make a club with Tobes then.”, after taking in the state of the room (a mess, since he hadn’t been able to find the things he needed quickly enough for his liking) she looked concerned back to him. “Whats going on?”</p><p>“My cousin has been kidnapped.”, and he went back to searching his things together. Where was this fucking robe?!<br/>“Yours too?”<br/>Snapping back up, he looked at her “Too?”<br/>“Oh. Well. Not a Senju. But the daughter of the Hatake clan has been kidnapped as well.”, Touka kneeled down next to him, going through the chaos and handing him his rope.<br/>“If it isn’t a Senju, then how did you get mixed up in this?”<br/>“Tobirama found her wolf partner badly injured. And the guy has a weak spot for children, you should see him around them. He gets all soft and mushy.”, she took a short pause, frowning at a heap of clothes. “To be honest I have never seen him this angry, when he heard that children are being kidnapped.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>458 Kudos?! You guys are amazing! &lt;3<br/>And 78 people made a bookmark?! Eeeep! &lt;3 (In case you wonder, yes, I do look at them in case you made some notes or ratings. - Aamu16: That is a very good sum up and I laughed far too long about it. So thank you :D &lt;3)<br/>I am looking forward to your comments and what you think of the direction I am going with this (since I have no real plan, just a general idea of the ending :D).</p><p>Next up: Working together isn't that hard. But it sure isn't easy.<br/>Will they make due and rescue Kagami and Natsuki? Or will they take too long with scrabbling among themselves?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Timing, boys. Timing!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A bit earlier than usual.<br/>But I doubt any of you will complain. :D<br/>Why? Because I am in stress - and apparently my copping mechanism is to generate ideas (I have now several other ideas for other fanfics.... aaaaaaaaah. Too many!) and write this story.<br/>And I had to read some things back - just to check some details. And - JESUS! So many people!!!! I mean - what.the.fuck. On the other hand. I am so happy so many of you like this story. I mean - The Kudos Count is at almost 500! O.O :O<br/>This chapter:<br/>This is hardly the time! And dear good lord. Why?</p>
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    <p>Tobirama kneeled down next to Riri, who was sniffing on the ground trying to find the scent of the kidnapper.<br/>He had not waited for the return of Hashirama and Mito. He hadn’t been able to do so.<br/>The problem was that the whole incident happened a few days ago already. So any signs or scents may be too weak already. And were growing weaker by every passing minute. With one good rainfall nothing would be left.</p><p>“I got something”, Riri perked up and looked at him. “It smells just as funky as I remember.”<br/>“Can you follow it?”<br/>“Yes.”<br/>“Good. Then let's go, before it grows cold..”</p><p> </p><p>----------</p><p> </p><p>Izuna jumped across the trees.<br/>Touka had agreed to play the messenger to the Hatakes and Hashirama Senju, to tell them that the Uchiahs also had lost one of their own. And would be joining the rescue and revenge.<br/>Thankfully Touka had given him a starting point for his search.<br/>The wood where Tobirama had found the wolf of the lost Hatake Child.<br/>He just had to look for some clues. Surely there would be something that could tell him where Kagami was.<br/>Right before him flashed by one white and one blue streak. Stopping abruptly he looked after them. Instantly noticing the blue jacket and white hair.</p><p>“Hei! Senju! Hold up!”<br/>Without thinking he changed directions and followed Tobirama Senju.</p><p>“I said hold up!” Izuna jumped and landed on the back of the other one.<br/>The forced stop ended in a tumble to the earth. Their bodies turned around each other and across some stones.</p><p>“What the fuck.”, he stared down into Tobirama’s blank face.</p><p>“I said wait.”, somehow he had managed to get the Senju under him, and was now sitting right on his stomach, his hands on Tobirama's shoulders the only thing keeping him from face planting himself to the earth. In any other situation he would enjoy this position a lot more, he knew.</p><p>“Sensei?”</p><p>Izuna starred at the - was that a dog? Pretty big for one…  And had it just talked?!</p><p>“I am alright, Riri. For now. What is it you want?” Tobirama glared daggers at him.</p><p>“Did the dog just talk?”</p><p>“I am not a dog! I am a wolf!” Barked the little fluffy white do- wolf.</p><p>“Oh. Right. Sorry. Guess you're the partner from the missing Hatake Child?”<br/>The little wolf whined pitifully, shrinking into herself.<br/>“Did you have to remind her?”</p><p>Izuna looked back down at Tobirama, and flinched.</p><p>“Sorry. I didn’t -” he sighed. “Nevermind. But I guess that you are looking for her?”<br/>Tobirama nodded. “Riri found a faint trail. And since every minute counts when it comes to-”<br/>“- To a rescue mission. Yes.”, Izuna finished his sentence. “In case you are wondering why I am here and gracing you with my appearance”, winking at Tobirama he continued. “Kagami, my cousin, was also kidnapped.”, he leaned down and so closer to Tobirama's face. “But I don’t mind taking a break right here.”</p><p>A lovely blush formed on the cheeks of Tobirama, and it seemed that he had just noticed the position he was in.<br/>“Get off me.”, he glared up at Izuna.</p><p>Easily complying, Izuna stood up and pulled Tobirama up as well. No need to agitate the other more, for now. And it wasn’t the right time. Kagami’s safety was his priority.</p><p>“We should follow the trial. I hope I haven’t made you lose it.”, he looked down at Riri.<br/>She shook her head. Interpreting her expression was hard, but it was clear that she thought of the two grown-ups as weird people, which were confusing here more than necessary.<br/>What an interesting turn to run into Tobirama. Literally.</p><p> </p><p>---------</p><p> </p><p>Kagami snorted awake.<br/>Something had hit him. Hard.<br/>Trying to blink and see what was up, he noticed soon the blindfold he still had on. So that hadn’t changed.<br/>Groaning he turned his head, trying to at least hear what it had been.<br/>A soft and wooden thud  and the movement of air - weird.<br/>A soft crying noise next to him, where Natsuki should be. Rustling of clothes.<br/>He slowly tried to inch to the distressing sound.<br/>Sooner than anticipated he felt a smaller body pressing itself against him.<br/>The now familiar fingers pressing into his skin, ragged breathing. But it was not Natsuki that was crying. It was someone else, who was on the other side of Natsuki. Further away.<br/>He felt her hand relaxing slowly, and she started to tipe away.<br/>“They threw someone inside. They must have hit you and then fell on me. Not sure if they are unhurt.”<br/>So that is what had happened.</p><p>Another child had joined them.<br/>Given the mood their captures seemed to be in, they would probably not remain in this location for far longer. They were getting far more loud, more irritated and now even more aggressive.<br/>That was a problem. They still haven't found a way to escape. And Kagami wasn’t sure how far their families had gotten and if they even could get that far to help them escape.</p><p>He clenched his hands together. Feeling dread and helplessness overwhelming him. At least with the clenching he could pretend that he was not doomed and at the mercy of someone else.<br/>But it didn’t help much.<br/>If he could just use his chakra again!<br/>A quick and small Flame and his bounds wouldn’t even be worth a small chuckle of amusement.</p><p> </p><p>---------</p><p> </p><p>Night had fallen and Izuna was sitting across the fire from Tobirama. Riri already curled up around herself, deep asleep, right between them.<br/>He was not sure what to make of the fact that of all the people to run into him, it had been Izuna Uchiha. Again.</p><p>Memories that hopefully would now never happen, rose up in his mind.<br/>Blood. Pain. Swords. Fire. Fog.<br/>Tobirama closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. Holding the air for a moment and then releasing it slowly. Trying to breath the pictures out of himself.</p><p>It didn’t work very well.<br/>Especially considering that as soon as he opened his eyes again - there was Izuna Uchiha right there. The small fire between them doing nothing, but actually adding to the nightmare.</p><p>Izuna’s black eyes reflected the light of the fire, giving them an orange red shine and so remembering him strongly of the Sharingan, which the other one could use quite deadly.</p><p>“We probably should sleep as well.”, Izuna smiled at him, trying to ease the awkward silence that had filled the last hours.</p><p>“What about guarding?”</p><p>“From what exactly? Nothing is around here.”</p><p>Tobirama frowned. That logic reminded him far too much of the carelessness Kagami had at the beginning under his training.<br/>Right. Kagami Uchiha.<br/>His future pupil. A very bright boy, if a bit lazy.<br/>And he had been still alive when he had taken the jump back, if he remembered correctly. It was hard to remember the time, everything was a bit blurry.</p><p>“You can’t be sure about that. At least one of us should keep watch. We can switch in the middle of the night.”</p><p>Izuna sighed and stood up, stretching. “If you insist. But I have no blanket, and it would be unwise to let the fire burn, if you are this concerned about others.”</p><p>Tobirama nodded. That of course was a problem. The nights could get dangerously cold around here and at this time of the year.</p><p>“I only have one blanket with me.”, he admitted.</p><p>“Then we just have to share. After all, you are quite comfortable.”</p><p>The last sentence confused Tobirama, until he remembered the moment a few hours before. Izuna sitting above him, smiling down at him.<br/>He felt his cheeks heating up, and he dropped the blanket he had been holding.<br/>What- How should he take that statement?!</p><p>It probably was just a joke.<br/>“Very funny.”, he grumbled and picked the blanket back up, trying to free it from the earth and leaves clinging to it. At the same time he tried to calm down and erase the ridiculous blush. But he could feel that he wasn’t getting far with it. Especially since his whole body started to heat up. Wonderful. A full body blush.<br/>At least he wasn’t cold anymore.</p><p>“I meant it!” </p><p>He looked up and jerked back instantly, his eyes widening. Izuna was standing right in front of him.<br/>Quickly he focused his gaze on the chin of the other, not wanting to risk falling under the effects of the Sharingan. His hand was already holding a kunai, how had he managed to get one so fast...</p><p>Izuna took a step back.<br/>“I-” he started and stopped. “I wasn’t going to attack you, Senju! Just- Why are you so on edge?”</p><p>Tobirama frowned. “None of your business.”, even to his ears his voice sounded awfully harsh and cold.<br/>Not the best way to go about this. Not at all.</p><p>He tried to gather some sort of tranquility. But he only managed to put the Kunai away. His eyes were still fixated on the cheek of the Uchiha, and every muscle in his body was tense to either fight or flight.</p><p>“Fine.”, Izuna snapped, crossing his arms. “I don’t need that stupid blanket anyway. A fire nature does come with some perks. But you will be taking the first watch.”<br/>With that he fell down next to Riri, and rolled over and away from Tobirama.</p><p> </p><p>Alright. So that could have gotten better for sure.<br/>But Tobirama felt off balance since he knew that children were being kidnapped (not even touching on the subject of what had happened before that), and then he ran into Izuna of all people - Triggering bad memories and he could feel the guilt crawling up his throat.</p><p>And then that comment - how was he supposed to react to something like that anyway?!<br/>It had to have been a joke. Even so Izuna had said that he meant it - no. He had just wanted to tease him, or humiliate him. They were enemies and rivals after all.</p><p>Even so…<br/>Tobirama reached into his jacket and pulled out his notebook.<br/>Opening it at the right place wasn’t hard even so he hadn’t opened and written in it for quite some time. He had still read in it, trying to grasp what was happening.</p><p>The topic of the book was Izuna Uchiha and his actions. All written in code of course.<br/>But no code was absolutely safe from being hacked. This book was dangerous. Not only for Izuna, but for him as well. Someone who would read this - they would figure out quite quickly that Tobirama was not from this time.</p><p>Looking at the last entry he frowned. It had been almost a whole year - He had not yet written about the - the incident in the hot spring hotel.</p><p>Well.<br/>Now he had time, considering that he was actively checking for chakra signatures and would be alerted by anyone coming too close.</p><p>What a Mess.</p><p> </p><p>-----------</p><p> </p><p>Mito blinked at Touka.<br/>“Please repeat that.”</p><p>“The Uchihas agreed to help the rescue mission of the children, because one of their own was also stolen. Izuna Uchiha already went ahead.”, Touka smiled brightly and tried to sneak into a better position to get a hug from her wife. But was stopped by two hands grabbing her shoulders.</p><p>“Really? You are not joking?” Hashirama's hopeful big eyes were staring right at her.</p><p>“No. Izuna promised me he would talk to Madara before leaving. And-”</p><p>“Oh my God!” Hashirama seemed to radiate with happiness.</p><p>“Please remember that my daughter is still missing, Hashirama-sama”, the Clanhead of the Hatakes had crossed his arms and frowned at them.</p><p>“Right.”, Hashirama scratched his head sheepishly. “I am sorry.”<br/>Touka finally got free of his grip and managed to sneak behind her wife, hugging her happily around the waist, leaning her head on that soft soft shoulder (sadly covered by a kimono).</p><p>“In that case, we should head first to the Uchihas.”, Mito patted Touka's head.<br/>Hashirama nodded.<br/>Hatake-san on the other hand did not seem to like this.</p><p>“No. By every passing minute my daughter is getting further away and out of my reach. I will and can not wait any longer. I am thankful for your help and the alliance from the Uchiha, but my first concern is for Natsuki. I will head to your clan and meet Tobirama-sama. He was the one watching Riri, yes?”</p><p>“Right.”, Hashirama nodded. “You will find them in the main house. Could you send someone of your clan with us? Just to help the talk with the Uchihas. You must be aware that our clans are not on” he stopped shortly “not on good terms with each other.”</p><p>Touka snorted “Understatement.”</p><p>Mito frowned at her. “Don’t you think you are out of this, Missy. You will explain to me in detail how you managed to befriend Izuna Uchiha.”<br/>“Yes, Ma’am!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>soooooooooooo.<br/>I am running a bit into a problem here. I managed to maneuvere myself in a tight place. Not only with the child rescue mission and who the bad guy is here - but also with the growing relationship between Izuna and Tobirama.<br/>This is gonna take - a while.<br/>And I have absolutely no controll anymore. Stuff just happens and the charakters do what they do. I just write it down.<br/>Sooooooooooooooo. With Natsuki - I have no fucking idea what to do with her. Because she was not really planned as well... Haha... whoops.<br/>But I will find a way around all those pesky little (big) problems. No sweat. No Prob.<br/>Yeah. I am fine. :)</p>
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<a name="section0023"><h2>23. It's a mental breakdown. Dadaduuuu dada da duuuuu</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Soooooo.<br/>Nightmares are fun. Not.<br/>Tobirama will get his break. Eventually. But not today!<br/>Izuna finds his talent for bad flirting. Once again.<br/>Hashirama trys to calm Madara down (Because he is only running on angry spite right now).<br/>Kagami and Natsuki make another new friend. And we finally. Finally see where the teamwork still needs some work.<br/>Hint. It is not with Tobirama and Izuna.</p>
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    <p>Izuna was steaming.<br/>He wasn’t sure what exactly he was angry about, there were so many options. The kidnappers, Tobirama, Himself, Kagami, the fire that went out like an hour ago, Himself, the Elders, the Senjus, Tobirama especially- the list could go on forever. He would start finding things from ten years ago and some that haven’t even happened yet.<br/>Shivering he hugged himself.<br/>Oh, he had said that having the Nature Affinity to Fire came with some perks, and it did. But this night was especially cold. Or it was just his imagination going wild. And so it was rather chilly.</p><p>He glanced over to Tobirama. The guy was sleeping, as he should, and was covered with his blanket. No grown man should look cute and enticing when he was curled up under a blanket like he was. But this one did. Sighing Izuna rubbed his arms, trying to warm himself a bit up.<br/>His brother had been right. There was no escape from this - crush of his. Maybe before everything had derailed itself and gone out of control, he could have managed his attraction. He probably would have put the energy of it into killing the guy. But no. He had to see how soft Tobirama had been with that kid, had not taken a step back but a step closer, trying to find out more about the other one. And it all had been over when he had started dreaming.</p><p>Izuna looked again at the peaceful face. It was a wonder that he was asleep. It was even surprising that he was still here.<br/>Especially after what Izuna had pulled.<br/>He had gotten too comfortable with Tobirama. And that awfully quickly.<br/>The flirtatious remark had just happened. As if they had done something like that over a hundred times. As if he had the right to anything like that with Tobirama.<br/>It was even a wonder that the other one let him come along on this rescue mission.<br/>But maybe. Just maybe. He could at least burn this into his memory for ever, if this was as close as he would get.<br/>His Sharingan spun awake, focusing on how Tobirama had rolled himself up, how steady his chakra was flowing and every breath he took, the white hair that looked almost silver - Izuna frowned.<br/>That was not calm breathing and his chakra was starting to stream violently, starting to get out of control.<br/>He was kneeling next to Tobirama immediately, reaching out for his shoulder, planning to wake the other one up and free him of a genjutsu. Even so he had no idea how someone could have planted one at Tobirama, without him noticing until now.<br/>He had just touched the shoulder, when the red eyes flew open and a scream full of agonising pain filled the air for far too long.</p><p>Tobirama's hand was clutching Izunas, making it impossible to pull back and give the other one space.<br/>After the painful scream, silence filled the air. Far louder than the yell had been. And it was so much worse.<br/>Tobirama was looking right at Izuna, who had still activated his Sharingan. Before he could return his eyes to the unthreatening color of black, so he wouldn’t make it worse, he saw the tears fill Tobirama's eyes.</p><p>“You are alive.”, came the whispered word out of his mouth. “You are still alive. Thank Kami”</p><p>“What?” Izuna blinked, having totally forgotten that he wanted to deactivate the Sharingan. “Of course I am!”</p><p>His eyes closed, the tears rolling down his eyes. He shook his head very sluggish.</p><p>“How can I help you, Tobirama?” Izuna reached with his free hand for him. But stopped his hand, hovering over the head covered with white hair, uncertain and unsure.</p><p>“Don’t leave me.”, came the reply after it seemed an eternity of silence.</p><p>“Tobirama-san?” came the quiet voice from Riri right next to Izuna. Her wet and old nose pressed into Izuna’s arm, and remembered him quite forcefully that she existed. “What is happening?” Her head turned up to him as if he knew exactly everything and could fix it with a snip of his finger. The belief of a young child. Had he ever been like that? He couldn’t remember.</p><p> </p><p>---------</p><p> </p><p>Hashirama was nervous. His palms were sweaty, his stomach felt like throwing up, he went through his hair braiding and unbraiding it over and over again (a nervous habit he had started unfortunately a while ago and now couldn’t get rid of), and to his feet beautiful little dandelions were blooming. Great. He needed to relax before he would give bloom to something far less nice and far more deadly.<br/>Why was he so nervous anyway? It was just Madara. Just. He was never just anything.<br/>A hand hit him over the head.</p><p>“Ow! Mito what was that for?”</p><p>“You know exactly what that was for.”</p><p>“But I-” A kunai on his throat stopped Hashirama from finishing his sentence.<br/>When he looked down at it he looked right into Madaras scowling face.</p><p>“Oh. Hello, Madara.”, he smiled nervously.</p><p>“Uchiha-sama”, Mito bowed politely, a smirk on her face. “Good to see you again.”</p><p>“What are you doing here?” Madara glared at Hashirama, completely ignoring her.</p><p>“Didn’t Izuna tell you?” Hashirama looked from the deep and dark eyeshadows under the black eyes back to the Kunai, that was still a bit too close to his throat.</p><p>“Tell me what?! He never tells me Anything!!” The growl was almost thunderous.</p><p>“It is about the kidnapped children.”, Hashirama threw a glance backwards to the Hataka member. But he had taken a few steps backwards, probably a wise decision, considering the mood Madara was in. “We found a Wolf Partner from the Hatakes, and it turned out one of their children had been kidnapped. And Touka said that Izuna told her that one of yours was also kidnapped-”<br/>His back hit the ground, Madara snarling into his face and the kunai digging into his skin. Drawing blood.</p><p>Quickly he lifted his hand, signaling for Mito and the Hatake to stand back and not to intervene.<br/>Madara was not acting rationally right now. He was worried and tired, to the point of absolute exhaustion. Treading lightly and carefully would be the key to success.</p><p>“Madara.”, his right hand found its place at the cheek of the other. Ignoring the pain at his throat, he smiled up at his best friend. “I am here. Right here with you.”<br/>Madara didn’t move, he didn’t even blink.<br/>“Let me help you, Madara.”, his thumb went softly over the sensitive skin under the eye, petting it almost. Slowly he let healing chakra flow into that thumb, trying to help Madara to relax. What he found there was worrying. He could only feel the outskirts of the eye, but it felt heavily injured. Frowning, he drew the healing chakra back. If Madara's eyes were injured, then he would have to be a lot more careful and take a lot of time for that. Eyes were extremely sensitive and if you did something wrong you could make it worse. If you were really unlucky you could kill the person.</p><p>Madara blinked down at him.<br/>“Hashirama?” he mumbled, as if he had just noticed who he was pressing into the earth, almost slitting his throat.</p><p>“Yes. I am with you, Madara. Right here.”</p><p>The Kunai was put away, but Madara did not move in any other way. He looked even more tired than before. And so sad, grief stricken.<br/>“What are you doing here?” he sounded resigned.</p><p>“I want to help find the children.”, slowly he put up the other hand and into Madara's hair. Instantly his fingers found around thousands of knots there.</p><p>“We have nothing to go on. And even if we did, the elders-”</p><p>“Technically I am not offering help to you. I am helping the Hatake. And they heard, somehow in a complete logical way that does not involve us at all, of your problem. We just happen to be helping the Hatake. So we wouldn't help you. Officially.”, Hashirama tried to avoid looking at Madara's face, he failed miserably he knew. Lying always made him feel awkward and weird. Not even to touch on the subject that he never managed to be successful.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“When was the last time you slept or ate something?”</p><p>“Don’t know. Yesterday?”</p><p>“What?! Madara!”</p><p> </p><p>-------</p><p> </p><p>Izuna looked at the Rock Plateau and sighed. A big cave entrance, above the ground level, looked like an abyss of darkness sitting above the stone. Riri had claimed it to be where Natsuki, her partner, should be in.</p><p>“You gotta be kidding me. It can’t be that obvious right? There has to be a secret passage, right?”</p><p>Tobirama shrugged. “Considering that they think Riri is dead, and they left no other traces, it is understandable. And no patrols are going around here. But there should be some guards.”</p><p>“Well. I don’t see anyone.”, he looked down at Riri, who shook her fluffy head.</p><p>“All the smells are older than an hour or so.”</p><p>Tobirama nodded. “I can sense several people inside. But I am not sure which one are the children, and which one are the kidnappers. Could be that there are some with no chakra training at all. So be prepared for dirty fighting.”</p><p>“Oh, I love it dirty.”, Izuna closed his eyes. Why?! Kami, Why?! No! Why?! Didn’t he learn ANYthing from yesterday? Kami, he was an idiot! Already apologizing in his mind to Madara, he prepared to be either stricken down by lightning, be swallowed by the earth or some sort of another divine punishment. There was no way that he would get away with that moronic sentence.</p><p>He opened one eye carefully.<br/>Huh. Nothing had happened. Odd. But they were probably just waiting for him to be unprepared for it.</p><p>Riri was looking up at him, a sharp smile (thanks to her fangs) present. “Me too! But I hate the bath after it.”, she shook herself quickly in fear.</p><p>“Right.”, Tobirama said, his voice sounding a bit pressed. “Let's make a plan and rescue the children.”</p><p>When Izuna risked looking at Tobirama, he saw the red ears under the white hair and the rosy cheeks.<br/>Well. That went better than the last one. But he would seriously need to control himself a lot better around Tobirama. If he didn’t he might slip up a lot worse. Like admitting to having - spied on him. Not stalked. He had just gathered information about an enemy.</p><p>Right.</p><p>It didn’t even sound convincing in his own mind.</p><p> </p><p>--------------</p><p> </p><p>Kagami was amazed on how stupid these kidnappers where.<br/>Not only did they kidnap a Hatake and an Uchiha.</p><p>Noooooo.</p><p>They also had grabbed an Aburame!<br/>How brainless had a person to be to do that?!<br/>They had bugs inside their body. Common knowledge! And you can’t cut off their chakra, because then the bugs would go crazy. That was just logic.<br/>But had the kidnappers put the Aburame in a different room, where she would have been isolated? Noooo, of course not.</p><p>Kagami was grinning so widely that his face hurt.<br/>Stretching, he looked down at Natsuki.<br/>He had known that she was a bit younger than him. But damn, the girl was small.<br/>His eyes wandered to the Aburame girl, Shira. Her bugs had chewed easily through the blindfolds and the chakra bounds, freeing them.<br/>And since the captureres didn’t check up on them very often, and in a pattern (so stupid), it had been easy to coordinate the whole action.<br/>Sure, it had taken a while to tip the whole thing out on their skin, and they had argued a bit about somethings (Shira had tried to interrupt and stop them, in the end she had been successful), but in the end they had picked the right moment (not in Natsuki's eyes, but who cares) to free themselves.</p><p>That Shira had pretended to be crying immensely at being kidnapped and her leg injury had also done a wonderful job.<br/>Turned out that the people here did not like gross girls. And an Aburame crying was not a pretty sight. Not at all. And so they had left them even more alone than they already had.</p><p>Kagami looked at the closed door.</p><p>“So. Any idea where we are?” He activated his sharingan, just in case someone would come closer. It wasn’t very advanced yet, but it did what he needed it to do for now. Part of him was excited to gain more of its power, but remembering the pain and suffering he had to go through just to get to this level of it - Well. He wasn’t looking forward to it.</p><p>“It is a cave system. My bugs can’t go very far yet, since I don’t have many of them nor is my skill high enough, but it seems to me that we are either very far below the ground, or in a mountain.”, Shira stepped next to him.</p><p>Natsuki hopped over some of the other children, all of them still bound. There was no need for a mass panic after all. No sense in risking the ones that couldn’t defend themselves.<br/>She leaned against the door, listening.</p><p>“You do know that I can see through it further than you can hear?”</p><p>“And my bugs are already on the other side of it?”</p><p>Natsuki glared at them. “Well, excuse me for not already being used to working with you two.”</p><p>“Alright, alright. No need to get snappy.”, Kagami walked over and opened the door.<br/>As he knew no one was on the floor behind it.<br/>“Let’s try and get them by surprise. After that we can free the others.”</p><p>All three of them were quickly at the end of the floor. Glancing around the edge, he swore loudly in his mind. There were around twenty grown ups around. And that was only this room. He couldn’t not say how many were actually in the whole complex. Of course, this was probably the main room, but that didn’t mean all of them were here right now. And no matter that all three of them were from quite powerful clans and trained, they were still children. He knew he was the oldest, and with that he had the most experience and the responsibility. Man he wished that wasn’t the case right now.</p><p>Something flew through the room, coming from one of the many tunnels leading to the main room, hit one of the men and hit the ground with a sickening wet sound.<br/>Natsuki and Shira luckily didn’t react loudly to it. But their eyes (Natsuki) and mouths (Shira) were open, disgust and shock clearly visible in it.<br/>It was a head, it had been cut clean of the shoulders just a few seconds ago considering how much it was still bleeding. Kagami wanted to throw up, but he knew that wasn’t an option.</p><p>After a few seconds of shocked silence, the kidnappers reacted.<br/>All hell broke loose.<br/>They shouted, they pulled weapons out, stumbled over each other and in general were a collection of absolute chaos, a perfect example for anyone on How Not To React.<br/>Kagami had thought that they were dumb. Now he had the proof that they were so much worse!</p><p>He pulled the girls back into their tunnel.</p><p>“Any ideas on who that could be?”</p><p>“Our families?” Natsuki looked at him with one critical raised eyebrow. A talent Kagami already hated, because she had done it at least three times already and He couldn’t do it no matter how he tried!</p><p>“So far so obvious.”, he snorted. “But which one? I don’t want to get into the crossfire of the Aburame.”</p><p>Shira had closed her mouth and was back to her collected and calm self. That the kidnappers had taken her glasses, and so they could see the bugs crawling over her eyelashes, made her look like a pale goddess of the earth and bugs. He would never dare and tell her that thought of course.</p><p>“I am trying to reach out with my bugs, but it will take some time.”</p><p>Natsuki nodded. “I will see what I can smell.”</p><p>“See what you smell? Ow!” he hissed and looked offended between the two girls who had punched him at the same time. “I was just-”</p><p>“Zip it.”, Natsuki hissed and kneeled down to glance into the main room again and to get a better scent.</p><p>Several seconds passed and Kagami had gotten to some conclusions.<br/>First, Girls were scarry. Or it was just these two, that were like this.<br/>Second, whoever was attacking was very skilled and not being seen. Because the screams and shouts were still disoriented and filled with questions and demands of “Show yourself, coward!” or something similar.<br/>Kagami leaned over Natsuki and looked into the main room once more.<br/>Next to the head without a body, were five other people dead. Others had clearly joined in, but were as clueless as the ones they joined on who attacked them and from where.</p><p>Kagami strained to spot them with his sharingan, and he did.</p><p>What he saw was breathtakingly beautiful.<br/>White hair, red eyes, blue jacket and such control and efficiency - it was simple, elegant, cut down to the principal - another one of the kidnappers fell down to the earth.<br/>Dead as a doornail.<br/>The attacker had vanished as quickly as he had appeared.</p><p>Their capturers were now down to the proud number of sixteen.</p><p>Natsuki stood up, hitting Kagami in the shin.<br/>Both of them stumbled backwards hissing loudly in pain.<br/>Fortunately everyone else had been too busy to hear them.</p><p>Natsuki was holding her head, covered in grey hair, and glared at Kagami with tears in her eyes.<br/>He was holding his chin, already knowing that he would get a good dark bruise there. Glaring back at her just as fiercely.<br/>Shira had a small smile on her face. It wasn’t mocking per se. But it definitely was.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>501 Kudos?! To think that that is real :o<br/>This story started out so small. And even as a "don't know if I will continue. Just need to get this idea out there or it wont stop bothering me!"<br/>And now we are here.<br/>You guys are amazing!!! And I wouldn't have done it without you that is for sure.<br/>Especially all the lovely comments!!<br/>Next Chapter should be: Tobirama trying to avoid Izuna, because. mmmmmh. Asking your rival and enemy please not to die and stay with him - there will be question. Natsukis dad finally catching up. Family reunion! And Kagami is going to get hit some more. Probably. Considering how it went this chapter...<br/>I hope you like it!<br/>Because I am supposed to study. But instead did this. Soooo. Yeah. hehe.<br/>*Humming* it is a meeeentaaaaal breakdown! dadadaaaa dada da daaa</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Jealousy is not a good look on you, Izuna</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tobirama and Izuna fighting the kidnappers. While also dog sitting. So one has a big fluff in their arms. :D<br/>Kagami defintely has a crashed system, because of Tobirama overload.<br/>Tobirama almost losing his control, because of the children. And Izuna knows his cousin too well. He called dibs on that Senju, get your own Kagami!!<br/>Two white Wolves rearing their heads. And a guy with a Braid crown joins the garden party. Because that is one of the better friseurs to keep hair out of your face while moving around (gonna dip more into the problem that only Tobirama has the sensible choice to have short hair. Everyone with long hair knows how bad it can get when you have your hair open...)</p>
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    <p>Izuna jumped forward, surprising the unlucky man and killing him.<br/>Tobirama landed silently next to him, Riri in his arms (completely filling them with her big fluffy body) sniffing the air excitedly. Her tail swished around widely and hit Tobirama several times.</p><p>“She is definitely here. I can smell her. Oh please, please, let me go!”</p><p>“Riri!” Tobirama's voice was far firmer than Izuna had ever heard it, a scowl on his face. “Get a hold of yourself. This is serious and if you can’t control yourself, it could endanger Natsuki. And I will not hesitate to leave you outside!”</p><p>Her reaction was instantly. The ears turned back in shame, her tail tucked between her legs, she tried to make herself look smaller (not an easy task for her, even so she was still just a pup). A pitiful small wine escaped her. “Sorry, Tobirama-sama.”</p><p>“It is alright.”, Izuna reached out and petted her, trying to lift her spirits. “You are worried for your mistress. That is understandable.”</p><p>“Don’t encourage her.”</p><p>“Stop me then.”</p><p>“Haha. Very funny.”, Tobirama glared at him, his face unmoving. “Can we concentrate back on our task? And remember we are in enemy territory?”</p><p>“Don’t mind him, Riri-chan. He is just still cranky from waking up. Come here.”, ignoring the Senju, Izuna plucked the young wolf out of his arms and cuddled her against him. “He didn’t mean it. See, stress does things to a person. And Tobirama is already on a normal day like a grumpy grouchy old man-”</p><p>“I am not-”, hissed Tobirama and then stopped, his head snapping to the corner. “Someone is coming.”</p><p>Both of them stepped to the walls, pressing themselves against it.<br/>Glancing down at Riri in his arms, Izuna frowned. Well, now he was in the role of passive bystander. With her in his arms there was no way he would be able to be efficient in killing.<br/>Two men turned around the corner, both of them looking tired and dragging their feet.<br/>Tobirama's hand shot forward and a kunai flew past him, hitting the earth right between the two men, making them stop in surprise.<br/>That had been a bad threw, Izuna wanted to frown at his partner and chastise him, but he was no longer there. Tobirama was gone. As if he had never been there.<br/>He blinked.</p><p>What. The. Fuck?!<br/>Turning around again, he only saw both of the men fall silently to the ground. Tobirama stood right above the Kunai, his short sword dripping with red blood.<br/>“What the fuck?” he whispered. Riri noded, her head swaying back and forth between where Tobirama was now and where he had been and still should be by any kind of logic.</p><p>Cleaning his sword on one of the dead bodies, Tobirama looked at them. “Are you coming?”</p><p>Izuna hurried over. “How did you do that?”</p><p>He stood up and frowned. Then he made a sound, like an ‘aaaahhh’. “Right. I didn’t use it before now. It is called the Flying Raijin. Basically it means I can teleport between spaces I have marked beforehand.”</p><p>Izuna stared at him. “That is possible?”</p><p>“Yes.”, Tobirama turned around and vanished behind the corner.</p><p>“Hang on! You can’t just go without an explanation.”, he hurried after him. “Since when can you use that?”</p><p>“A few years.”</p><p>Izuna stood and gasped in offense and shock. “And you didn’t think to use it against me? I am hurt!” A smile on his face making his last statement a bit unbelievable.</p><p>Tobirama stood, frozen in the middle of the tunnel. “I will never use that technique against you, Izuna.”</p><p>“But-”</p><p>“No!” the shout echoed through the tunnel.</p><p>Izuna looked at the heaving back of Tobirama. “I am sorry.”, he mumbled, stepping closer. “I didn’t mean-”</p><p>“I know. But this technique-” Tobirama stopped, pressing his fingers against his forehead. Then he shook his head. “Let’s continue on. I will scout ahead, taking on most of the enemies attention. You and Riri stay behind in case something happens or someone returns.”</p><p>Izuna nodded. It was the best plan they could do right now.<br/>Tobirama touched Izuna's shoulder and a seal showed up. “With this I can teleport back to you.”, before he could vanish further down the tunnel Izuna tried to touch him. But with Riri in his arms that didn’t work out very well.</p><p>Sighing, he put her on the ground. “If you want the enemy's attention I have a good idea to get it.”, he walked back to the two dead men. In one swift stroke he cut off one of the heads, lifting it at the hair. “Throw that between them. After my experience that tends to freak people out. And you can put a seal on it, switching back and forth between me and the head and any other seal you place.”</p><p>“Ok. That is a genius plan. Disgusting. But genius.”</p><p>“Thank you. That is high praise coming from you.”</p><p>“But I won't throw that thing. Touching it is the most I will do.”, a thoughtful silence filled the air and Izuna felt a bit stupid standing there with a head hanging from his head like a morbid lantern.<br/>“I could also teleport you too. That way we would be attacking quicker and more efficient.”, Tobirama looked down thoughtful at Riri. “Riri will be the anchor we will return to.”, and he touched her behind her right ear, placing another seal.</p><p>“Wait. Hold on. You can teleport others as well?”</p><p>“Oh yes. It takes some more chakra than just for me, but I have plenty and shouldn’t run into problems.”</p><p>“You know. You amaze me.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“You just do, ok?”</p><p> </p><p>-----------</p><p> </p><p>Izuna loved the Flying Raijin for sure.<br/>It was exhilarating in many ways. He had never been faster for once. This move would be hard to counter for anyone Tobirama would face, even for him. So it held a lot of strategic power. And of course he could still feel Tobirama's Chakra flowing through his whole body.<br/>Tobirama stood above the dead bodies, turning to Izuna.</p><p>“I think that was all of them.”, he then turned to one of the tunnels leading into the cave. “You can come out now.”</p><p>Izuna turned around quickly and saw how three children shuffled around the corner.</p><p>“Kagami!” he jumped over and pulled his cousin into his arms. The smaller arms of his cousin closed themselves as well around him.</p><p>He heard Riri yapping from their safe tunnel and a girl calling her name.</p><p> </p><p>--------</p><p> </p><p>Tobirama felt very much out of place.<br/>Izuna and Kagami were in a tight hug, and it didn’t seem as if they would let go anytime soon. But he could understand. The relief must be intense for both of them.<br/>Riri and Natsuki, he concluded, were busy rolling on the ground and in the girls case also getting slobbered all over.<br/>Trying to give the four the privacy they needed he tried to find something to do. Anything at all. And his eyes landed on a girl, standing around just as lost as he felt.<br/>Walking up to her, he lifted his hands to show that he meant not harm. As he came closer, he noted the insects crawling over her skin. An Aburame. That explained how the three were free and running around.</p><p>“Greeting, Aburame-san. I am Tobirama Senju. Are you unhurt?” He stepped closer, but kept his senses up just to be safe. He still wasn’t sure if he got each one of the kidnappers.</p><p>“Yes. Thank you, Senju-san. I am Shira Aburame.”, she bowed properly to him. “Do you know if my family is also here?”</p><p>“I am afraid not.”, he shook his head.</p><p>Nodding she took a step back, closer to the tunnel the three were hiding in before. “I can show you where the other children are being held.”</p><p>“Lead the way, Shira-san.”</p><p>The small smile, spreading and on her face, told Tobirama it had been correct to keep the honorific, showing her that he took her seriously.<br/>They walked down the tunnel in a comfortable silence.<br/>A wooden door at the end of it, but without a lock. Tobirama frowned. Very odd, you’d think that they would keep the children locked up and not just behind a closed door.<br/>As he opened it, he understood.<br/>Children, laying on the floor or propped against the wall, bound, blindfolded and gagged.<br/>His hands clenched together, and he felt his chakra reacting to his emotions. His temper had always been a problem in that regard.<br/>Shira had taken a step away quickly, and the children in the room, even so clearly not trained, curled together.<br/>He quickly closed his eyes, fingers finding the bridge of his nose and pressing it. Losing his control right now was not helpful. But he had been on edge for a long time now and he really wanted someone to let it out on.</p><p>“Tobirama?” he heard Izuna calling down the tunnel. But the voice was muffled and seemed far off.</p><p>He needed to rail his killing intent in! And that quickly.<br/>Breathing out, he smoothed his chakra out once more. Breathing in, he tried to unclench his fist. That continued for a while until he felt himself slip back into the calm flowing mood he normally held.<br/>A hand grabbed his shoulder softly, tugging and he followed the suggestion. Opening his eyes he looked into the black eyes of Izuna. Remembering him of an Onyx. Where had that thought come from?</p><p>“Are you okay? What happened?”</p><p>He shook his head, trying to dislodge his mind from the eyes. Kami, that wasn’t the Sharingan, it shouldn’t have that effect on him!</p><p>“They have far more children than I thought. Take a look.”, he stepped aside. Seeing by instinct into Kagami's face. A red flush was spread over his face, and Tobirama was very sure that that one was not there before. On pure instinct, the boy had been his student after all (unspoken and unofficially his favourite - he would always deny it, favouritism still a too sensitive issue in that present back then, especially with the Uchihas), his hand pressed itself against the forehead, checking for fever.</p><p>“No fever.”, he said, pulling his hand back. “Are you hurt in any way?”</p><p>“What.”, Kagami mumbled, his eyes wide. Then he coughed slightly. “Yeah. I mean no. I am fine. Totally fine. Never been better!”</p><p>That. Was weird.</p><p>“Kagami”, Izuna growled behind him.</p><p>“It wasn’t me!” came the automatic reply from the boy.</p><p>Tobirama looked back at Izuna, the scowl on his face was dark and nothing he had ever seen on the other one.</p><p>Nodding, he entered the room full of the children. “I know. We should free them and should get them out of here immediately.”, he kneeled down to a boy not much older than four. “Don’t worry. I am here to help.”, he mumbled. “I am sorry I scared you earlier.”, he pulled the bonds off and slowly helped him sit up. “Take your time.”, quickly he moved on to the next one.</p><p> </p><p>-------</p><p> </p><p>Sighing Tobirama enjoyed the sun on his face. Eyes closed lightly.<br/>He was done. Bringing the children out had emotionally completely exhausted him and made him unbalanced. It was almost as if the earth was slipping away right under his feet.<br/>The sun was helping, as well as the fresh air. It grounded him again a bit. And that would need to do the job until he was home again. There he would need to reflect on so much. Far too many things.</p><p>Something was moving fast towards them, he ripped his eyes open. “Someone is coming.”, he turned to Izuna.</p><p>“Enemy?” the hand of the Uchiha instantly fell on the hilt of his sword, the sharingan spinning.</p><p>“I don’t know the chakra.”, he shook his head. “But that doesn’t mean much. Could be an Aburame or-”, his eyes wandered to Natsuki. “Hang on.”, he focused and closed his eyes. Trying to get a better reading at the chakra signature. It could be a Hatake, if they had left the compound right after Hashirama had reached them. But how likely was that to happen?<br/>He opened his eyes slowly.</p><p>Apparently very likely.</p><p>“It is a Hatake. And, I guess his wolf partner.”, when he looked at Natsuki a big grin was turning her cheeks cherry red.</p><p>Someone broke through the trees and stopped, looking at the scene presenting itself to them.<br/>Around twenty children from various ages, lounging and standing around in the grass. And two grown ups standing facing the wood.<br/>The Man had long white hair braided along his head. Two white wolves by his side already baring their fangs.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Lucky yous! And Me! :D I still have more freetime than usual.<br/>So:<br/>A bit quicker upload. Again.<br/>I really hope you like it :D<br/>We are finally starting to close in on "something" here.<br/>But Tobirama is pushing everything down right now - his priority right now are the children. Until they are not safe the guy will not take another relaxed breath. (My suspicion - he will colapse as soon as that is settled)<br/>Also. i wonder how Hashirama and Madara are doing. Because. we left them in an - interesting situation, to say the least.<br/>I am so happy! 530 Kudos?! Are you guys okay????<br/>Where did these come from.... o.O <br/>But i couldn't be happier :D &lt;3<br/>And so many of you leave such lovely comments. &lt;3 Each time I am looking forward to those with such anticipation! :D<br/>Me with any comment on my fic: Myyyyy Preecccciooussss. &lt;3</p>
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